Across the Universe
by marione25
Summary: It has been more than a year since the Golden Trio defeated the Dark Lord and his allies. All had been well. Until a visitor from another realm takes over and wants to rule our world. Can Hermione Jean Granger convince him otherwise? Or will we succumb to the god of Mischief? Or perhaps, he arrives into our world and gains more than what he bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

The Wizarding World is at the age of recovery after Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort.  
All is well.  
All had been well until a visitor from another realm appears before London.  
Everyone is taken aback to find out it wasn't a mere visit but a phase of invasion from legends and gods that Harry and Hermione only read in the books back at Hogwarts.

Hermione Granger has a deadline she needs to reach before the whole Wizarding World they've tried so hard to save crumbles at the feet of the god of Mischief, Loki.

The brightest witch of her age must prove that the Wizarding World, if guided accordingly, can prove itself worthy to live on its own and not be ruled by any other realm or god.

The god of Mischief bows to no one and yet agrees with a truce that if he would win over, would mean that the whole Wizarding World would succumb under his rule.

Across the universe, they had found one another - the battle is not only of magic and wits.  
Who shall lose first when the war of the worlds soon becomes something else?

For soon they shall discover that nothing is ever fair in love and war - for there is no witch nor god when it becomes the affairs of the heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Prologue_**

 _"Who's there?" she cried at in determination. "Show yourself?"_

There was the sound of footsteps that resembled clicking boots and then the shadow of someone – someone tall, someone holding something long like a staff and someone who had something on his head – was that a helmet or horns?

Her brown eyes remained rooted on the spot, heart beating fast and her mouth gasping out the coldness of her surroundings.

A sound and something odd and squishy just below her feet.

She wildly looked down over the ground – no, it wasn't a ground.

It looked like something of a mixture of grey soil and – was that ice?

A flash of lightning disturbed her thoughts.

She looked up and raised her hands again, wand at the ready.

Another flash – something gold and green – and then there was a voice.

She couldn't make out the words but someone was speaking to her in a low yet gallant tone.

Something glimmer and the horns or helmet or whatever it was from the shadows disappeared alongside what she assumed was a sort of staff.

"Who's there?" she called out again taking a few steps back as the shadow advanced towards her. "Show yourself or I will strike!"

"No, you wouldn't." the voice had clearly said as the figure neared her.

It slowly came out of the shadows but it was too cold and too dark around her for her to be able to make out what or who she was seeing.

The breeze around her became colder and soon enough, something hit the side of her face and then the skin of her arms.

 _Shards of ice._

Her eyes widened as she gripped her wand tighter in her hand.

"Last warning-" she breathed out. "I will strike if you do not reveal yourself-"

 _"No, you wouldn't."_ the voice repeated and this time the figure came clearer into view. "You couldn't."

She could only see a pair of beautiful gleaming eyes, staring excited and daunting at her direction.

She opened her mouth to say something when something blinding like a great white light exploded all over her and she was thrown back over the ground.

Her wand was thrown away from her hands and she covered herself as some sort of hailstorm passed her buy for a very brief moment.

She could hear a cackle of laughter not far from where the figure was.

She heard footsteps near her.

She slowly opened her eyes as the hailstorm subsided and her mouth went dry in awe.

The _universe_ – all the stars of the galaxy, the planets from afar and every gleaming bit of rock, stone and everything else in between – was shining before her eyes – only a few feet from where she lay fearful and shaking in the coldness.

Before she could comprehend what was happening, a gloved hand had reached towards her – seeking to help her back to her feet.

"Take my hand." the same voice whispered but this time it was warm and almost intimate.

But she couldn't move, something in her body was frozen still.

The face moved closer and for the first time she could make out the face of a man with long black hair, pale skin and beautiful eyes.

She tried to reach out for the hand when the grounds started shaking terribly as another shattering blow came.

The grounds beneath her started to shake uncontrollably in a quake and everything around her started collapsing.

Her reflexes immediately reached out for the hand in front of her.

It gasped her tightly, protectively.

 _"Your Majesty_!" another voice from afar called up and the hand in hers slightly moved. "Your Majesty, we have to go! Please!"

"I can't leave her!" the voice that held her hand screamed back in a tone with such fury and command. "I _won'_ t leave her-"

"You can't take her!" the voice yelled back. "She's _not_ from our world-"

Their eyes met for the briefest moment as she felt the grounds she were in started to crumble and disappear.

He looked back at her as some sort of light enveloped him.

And then there it was, the panic and fear in his eyes.

"Don't leave me." she cried out at the hand that was slackening from his grip on her _. "Please don't let me go_."

And then everything else collapsed, a scream of fury, a great flash of light and she was falling endlessly.

Hermione's echoing scream filled her whole room and she awoke struggling against the sheets of her own bed.

She was choking in her own tears and her reflexes had managed to grabbed her wand from beneath her pillow and she pointed it right ahead of her, ready to strike until she realized she was awake and was in her room and not some open galaxy with a crumbling ground.

"No.. no… I'm alive, I'm alive.." Hermione gasped as she stared around her gasping for air.

Her eyes settled back over her wand that had a small glow light from the tips.

She was sweating and tears were formed at the side of her face.

That was not the first time this dream and incident has happened in the past few months.

What was going on?

But before she could really understand, she just realized another glow of light and a voice had been calling her name.

Hermione immediately jumped out of her bed in her night dress and went to her window where the light was floating and the voice was calling her.

 _It was a Patronus – a Ministry of Magic Patronus_.

Hermione fidgeted and unlocked her small apartment's window and let through the Patronus that had been locked outside due to the charms she placed all over her place.

The bedside clock told her it was half past two in the morning.

And a Ministry Patronus at this hour?

Surely something had gone terribly wrong.

She looked up at the Patronus that then slowly turned into a figure of an old woman.

"All Ministry Heads, Employees, Workers and Staff – please immediately come to the Ministry of Magic. In the Great Hall, the Minister of Magic shall await your presence. This is an emergency. This is a level seven emergency."

The glow of light of the woman and the Patronus itself had disappeared in a haze of smoke and darkness covered the whole room again.

Hermione had barely caught up her breath and had her mind and thoughts back together and in order.

"Level Seven." Hermione repeated holding her wand tightly and trying to stabilize her thoughts to understand what that meant.

 _An immediate and dangerous attack at the ministry._

 _"Holy shit_." Hermione muttered and without another word, she ran back into her bedroom and had only grabbed a traveling cloak and her small purse by the end of her bed and had quickly went back to the Apparition point of her apartment and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Another large quake and a blinding flash of light gathered and exploded along the Great Hall of the Ministry of Magic.

There were a few wails and screams.

Hermione Granger arrived just in time in the hall to catch Harry Potter who had been thrown backward from the air.

She pointed her wand right at him to slow down his fall and he landed safely right at his feet.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked as she helped him back onto his feet.

Ministry of Magic officials, employees and staff – some were still in their night dresses and robes like Hermione – were gathered all in the hall and was staring at something bright and shinning at the midst of the room.

"We don't know yet." Harry said as he cringed in pain while Hermione helped him up.

They both looked up as the Minister of Magic and some other department heads raised their wands and sealed and contained something at the midst of the room.

"What is _that_?" Hermione asked Harry as she pointed at what they were concealing in a magical cage at the middle of the room.

"It landed here." Harry explained to her as they stared at the magic being performed before them. "Just right there at the middle. Out of nowhere. Out of the blue."

Hermione stared, eyes narrowed at what was now magically contained and caged by the Ministry officials.

It was something struck within a large form of rock – something long, something gold, something shimmering and something with what looked like a stone in it.

It looked highly familiar.

 _She had seen it before._

"What's the matter?" Harry asked as Hermione let go of his hand and had slowly walked towards the middle of the room where the object was.

"I've seen it before." Hermione whispered back at him staring at the glowing object struck in the rock formation.

"Seen it before?" Harry asked back trying to grab her hand back to pull her away from it. "Where?"

"Miss Granger!" the Minister called out seeing her walk towards the object. "Please stay away from it – it is unsafe as of now – we haven't concluded what it is and it seems to have a life of its own-"

"I've seen it before." Hermione said staring at the familiar draw it was pulling and luring her to it. "I don't remember but I've seen it before."

"Hermione move away from it." Harry called out at her. "It has struck us already when we come too close towards it – it's not safe-"

"Give me a moment." Hermione said pulling her wand out and staring closely at it.

It looked like a staff to her.

 _She has seen that staff._

"Miss Granger, please." the Minister warned her again. "We'll have the Aurors Department check it completely first – please step away from it-"

"I just need to see something." Hermione called out walking to the side of the guilded cage.

But before any of them could do anything else, something happened.

Another flash of great while and blue lights in a circular forced came out from the sky and struck straight from the walls and ceiling and right a few feet from where the cage was.

People who were nearer the area were thrown backward and Harry was thrown up in the air and landed back painfully on the floor next to the Minister and other witches and wizards.

"Hermione!" he screamed as he watched her – who was closest to the cage – flew up in the air and was thrown back hard on the ground.

Something glowed and some figure appeared as the light from the circular light slowly dispersed.

Hermione groaned from the destructed surroundings she tried to get up from.

She could hear gasps and at the corner of her eyes, wands were being drawn out as the figure slowly appeared and revealed itself as the lights and debris slowly faded away.

Someone tall and in an elegant robes and cape appeared before them all.

He had a long black hair that barely covered his face and he was wearing an elegant set of clothes.

Hermione's eyes widened at the apparition or figure before her.

The figure slowly looked up right at the mass of people in front of him and his eyes slowly lingered down at Hermione who was just right a few feet from him and was staring back up at him with an open mouth.

His eyes darkened at the sight of her.

"Who are you?" Hermione heard the Minister's voice demand and she saw Harry and the Minister walked forward, nearer her.

"Hermione, take my hand." Harry whispered as he raised his wand, pointing it directly at the figure in front of them.

Hermione couldn't move.

Her eyes were locked with his – his gaze, his eyes were both familiar to her.

She had seen this man somewhere before.

 _"Kneel_." the figure slowly said slowly raising his left hand and moving his eyes away from Hermione. "Kneel before me, little people."

"Little people?" Hermione asked in a fearful yet straight voice. "Kneel before you? Who are you?"

His darkened gaze returned to Hermione as if he's never seen anything like her.

He took a step forward and Harry was quick as he too made a step forward.

But he was different – he only held his left hand up and Harry was blocked from his steps as if an invisible wall had been placed before him and he couldn't advance another step.

Hermione looked up at him and back at the figure who smiled knowingly back at her.

"The emotional ones are always the easiest to manipulate and move around." he said in a silky accent.

Hermione fretted for her wand.

"Let him go." Hermione said as he advanced forward her with such a stunning stance.

"I think not." he took another step until he was right in front of Hermione. "Tell me beautiful, what is your name?"

Hermione's full senses were angered then – the last time he was called forth that way was at the forest when they were hunting Horcruxes and something at the memory of it angered her even more.

"You let him go or you will regret it." Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"Beautiful but foolish." he muttered staring back onto the ground.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply as if savouring that very moment.

He reveled at the feeling of inhaling the air that was being accumulated back inside his lungs as the strong element and sense of magic all around him filled him in and fed his powers within, making him stronger from the exhausting travel he had just been through.

He slowly opened his eyes with a wide smile over his mischievous yet handsome face.

"I am Prince Loki." he clearly stated for the whole room to hear even if he was staring only at Hermione. "I have come in peace."

"In peace?" Hermione repeated still trying to find her wand somewhere near her without taking her eyes off the man who called himself Loki. "I'm finding that hard to believe at the moment."

His eyes passed her but he returned his gaze back to the mass of people before him.

"Kneel before me." he repeated yet again. "Kneel before your new god."

"God?" Hermione repeated incredulously with an undeniable mock in her tone. "I hope you don't mean yourself."

Loki's eyes narrowed and he turned back to her with a mixture of surprise and excitement in his eyes.

She was a challenge to behold.

He moved forward her and Hermione remained still.

With his free hand, he touched the side of her face and drew a trace right at her jawline.

Hermione wasn't sure if it was out of fear or some magical force but she just couldn't move right on that very spot at he touched her face.

A tingling sensation passed Hermione's skin and senses right to the tips of her fingers and toes.

She looked up at the man before her, forcing herself not to blink as she remained still at their very close proximity.

She could just feel the great power surging through him.

He smiled at her as his eyes focused through her brown ones.

"I very well mean myself, beautiful." Loki said bending a little more forward to move his face a few inches from her.

Hermione could just feel his breath and the smell of something alluring passed her senses.

Before she could react, he had moved away from her and stood straight.

His left hand remained pointed right at his side to stop Harry from attacking him but he moved his other hand right up.

In a flash of light and a great force, the staff from the formed rocks and stoned had flown out from it and had flown straight at his right hand.

There was another glow of light that came from him and slowly, a large gold headgear in shape of horns appeared over the top of his head.

Hermione gasped at the sight of it.

 _The man with the horn for a crown._

He straightened up completely and smiled at her before turning to the crowd.

He moved his hand and Harry dropped painfully back over the floor in a painful landing.

He raised his staff and a thunderous force came all over them all again.

"On your knees you little people." he repeated with a dark gleam in his eyes. "Let me give you at taste of real power and being ruled over mean."

"Oh no, you don't." Hermione angrily spat finding her wand finally and taking hold of it. "I absolutely did not camp back at the forest for all those months hunting Horcruxes only to end up beneath your ugly rule."

His eyes dilated and he looked back at her.

Harry screamed and warned Hermione.

A lot of things happened all at once – he raised his staff towards her and a light glowed, Hermione screamed a strong spell towards him while Harry tried to put a powerful Shield Charm at her while the Minister administered a strong Shield Charm at the crowd around them.

Harry's eyes widened as through the blinding light he saw the god Loki's gloved hand grasped Hermione by the neck as he lifted her off the ground.

Her eyes were wide but she had her wand directly pointed right at Loki.

A gleam appeared before his eyes as he turned to Harry with a knowing smile.

"No." Harry screamed in fear as he knew what would come next. _"Please."_

"And they call you, the Boy Who Lived?" he asked as at the very brief moment his and Hermione's magic connect, he had already seen enough information to introduce him completely to the two people nearest him.

"Let her go." Harry commanded angrily.

"I think not." Loki replied with a smile. "Don't you think a guest like me should need a tour guide into your world?"

There was a powerful surge from his staff again.

His and Harry's eyes met.

Harry knew what then would come.

"NO!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as a final blast of light and power appeared before them all.

And once it diminished, the staff with stone, the god Loki and Hermione were no longer there and had completely disappeared leaving nothing but debris and a dilapidated Great Hall.


	3. Chapter 3

**_I_**

 _ **The Desiderata**_

 _Six months earlier…._

"Coffee or freshly made juice?" Harry asked as Hermione entered the kitchen in his long black sleeping shirt.

"Juice." Hermione yawned entering the kitchen in her barefoot and pulling a chair up for herself.

She inhaled the smell of melting cheese in the waffles that Harry was making.

"Hungry?" Harry asked as she reached over the table for the paper that the owl had just dropped in.

"Quite." Hermione replied with another yawn and then her eyes widened right at him. "Wait."

Harry looked up at her.

"What?" he asked her.

"Excuse me, I thought you already _left_ lastnight?"

"I slept over."

 _"_ _Obviously."_

"Hey. I like your apartment." Harry said halfway finishing the breakfast for them both.

"Have you seen my red mug?" she asked looking over the kitchen.

"Top shelf. Third drawer. Farthest row." Harry said without looking up from his cooking.

"Thaaaanks." Hermione said with narrowed eyes and calculating glare at him. "You're creepy. How did you know that?"

"I basically live here." Harry replied with a smile. "And ofcourse, I keep this house clean and all."

"I beg your pardon?" Hermione asked with a disgusted and funny look over her face. "I keep _your_ household clean and all." Hermione pointed out grabbing a bacon from the platter Harry was still preparing.

"Then you should try sleeping over at my place some time." Harry said with a sheepish grin as he laid a platter of fresh scrambled eggs, bacon and waffle before her.

"Nice try, Harry Potter." Hermione replied as Harry turned away from the table to pour some juice for her. "You should try going home to your own place. That is something nice, try it sometime you know, really."

"Are you kicking me out?" Harry asked with a grin.

"I'm only saying that you have a home you can always go back to."

"I like your place." Harry said winking at her. "Very homey and all."

"You have a far more luxurious loft Harry." Hermione said rolling her eyes out. "And it needs to be cleaned very soon."

"It's only been days." Harry reasoned.

"One week, one day and eleven hours to be exact." Hermione pointed out with a sheepish grin.

"Know It All."

"Chosen One."

"I am the Chosen One." Harry smirked at her with a proud smile as Hermione threw over the spare apron back at him.

He watched her eyes slowly narrow as she read through the newspaper head line across the table.

"What's up?" he asked in a mouthful of waffles and bacon.

"Have you seen this?" Hermione asked placing the paper over the table so Harry could read too. "Billionaire Bachelor About to Miss the Biggest Fund-Raising Event of The Year."

Harry looked over at the title Hermione had just read.

It was Draco Malfoy over the headlines – a gallant and proud looking picture and one where he was lone in the picture with a grim look over his face.

"Biggest fund raising event of his company for the year?" Harry asked as Hermione mouthed and read the article. "You mean the bidding ball?"

"Yes." Hermione answered moving her fingers sentence per sentence over the paper as she read through. "It doesn't say here why he's missing it – not written if he's off to vacation or somewhere else or something – or anything. It just states that he wouldn't be attending the fundraising event he had planned out and prepared for months."

She looked up at Harry with a morose look over her face.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked her. "It's not like he's the type to attend those. He prefers social gatherings to find the next woman he can fuck."

Hermione looked up at him momentarily and gave him 'that look'.

"Sorry." Harry quickly said biting his lower lip. "Habits."

"Habits or because it is Malfoy?" Hermione muttered under her breathe as she resumed reading the paper.

Harry didn't say anything as he went on preparing their breakfast.

"He's been attending these things." Hermione said. "All of it. It's the first time he's about to miss one and it's the biggest one his company is hosting and all."

"Are you _stalking_ Malfoy?"

"He has been funding the department at the Ministry that cares for the welfare of all creatures alike – including house elves."

"And?"

"He's been doing it since after the war. Never missed any."

"Never missed any?" Harry incredulously repeated. "What? He's trying to win Bachelor of the Year?"

"He's trying to win hearts of people so he will remain unscathed and unharmed down the streets of London for getting away for all the crimes of his family."

"Mrs. Malfoy paid as witness and her lie to the Dark Lord about my death already paved way to ensure that she and Draco evades Azkaban and have only Lucius Malfoy be in Azkaban."

"But that won't stop people from trying to hurt him down the streets, would it?" Hermione asked with a knowing smile.

"Makes sense." Harry said as he filled a large pitcher with fresh juice.

"Why would he miss his biggest one for the year?" Hermione asked as she continue dreading the paper and articles.

"Would the house-elves be missing a galleon in their fund if he doesn't appear on it?" Harry asked moving away from the paper.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at him as she straightened up over her chair.

"That wasn't my point." Hermione asked. "The Ministry has been monitoring his activities – anything funny, they're all ears and eyes on him."

"So you're _really_ stalking him?" Harry asked again as he took another waffle from the platter. "Is that why you're always down at the Human Resources floor? Getting gossips and news about him?"

"I'm not stalking him." Hermione indignantly said. "I'm wondering why he'd abandon a large project – a project as large as that. It's good for his name."

"As long as the galleons are rolling, 'Mione, the community wouldn't mind if he appears or disappears in his parties."

Hermione didn't say anything as Harry moved away from the table, humming to himself as he started making coffee for himself.

She didn't know why, but something was quite bothersome at that news.

But then again, Harry was right.

Nobody would bat an eye for as long money was rolling in for the good of others or more accurately, for as long as it was rolling in.

"Is there any article about The Desiderata?" Harry asked her as he gobbled down bacon after another.

"The what?" Hermione asked as Harry looked over the paper and shuffled through the pages.

"Oh, there it is." Harry said pointing over a page.

Hermione quickly opened it up as a full page article and image was plastered for 'The Desiderata'.

Her eyes widened.

An image of a spectacular, rare and expensive looking jewel was plastered large at the page and a small text was at the end of the page describing what it was.

It was made out of a very rare jewel that legend says is not of this world.

Despite of the picture lacking colour, it was describe to be in element and colour of emerald and the necklace it hang from was made out of studded diamonds.

It was a very beautiful picture and it says in the article that it was going to be the jewel for the night of the bidding – the most expensive and sought-after item for the bidding on the night.

"It says that the first bid wouldn't go below a thousand galleons." Hermione read through at the short interview from the Minister of Magic itself. "But they didn't say where it was found."

"They didn't." Harry said pointing over the picture. "My team and I went there at the Department of Mysteries where they are keeping it at the moment – the Minister asked my team to put up Protection Spells of sorts at where they kept it until the bidding night. I didn't get much information about it as it seems they don't even have much information about it."

"Is it a Dark artifact?" Hermione asked.

"We couldn't tell." Harry replied. "We tried spells of sorts to open it up or anything – but boy, the emerald stone is extremely hard. Nothing ever found on this earth, I tell you."

"Nothing ever found?" Hermione asked. "You saying it's not from this planet?"

"We're still under research and we've taken enough data from it to farther our research even if it sold at the night."

"But if it is unknown to be good or dark – isn't it dangerous to be sold out?"

"It will give a lot of money- thus, it will help more than one charity – it will bloody help a lot of people especially the families that were affected after the war." Harry said. "And the Minister is banking that whoever has that loads of money would have good intentions for it."

"Last time I checked, the richest man on the land is currently sitting in Azkaban."

"Draco Malfoy wouldn't be able to attend the ball himself and he's not allowed to buy anything off the auction as he's the one actually putting up some of the items."

"Still not convinced that the richest man out there is a good guy."

"You're overthinking, 'Mione." Harry said with a smile as he moved away from the paper. "And if I had all the money in the world, I'd buy you that."

Hermione looked up and Harry winked at her.

"It's not funny. I'm serious." Hermione said throwing him looks.

"I am also very much serious." Harry pointed out.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"Still, I can't believe they're putting this one out of auction even if they haven't completely checked what's in it – they just found it, found it has great monetary value and poof – they're selling it off."

"It has good value and we've completely checked it out Hermione – every bit and side of it."

"And?"

"And there's nothing. It's been sitting with them for months – or maybe years – who knows? But they've just decided to bring it out onto the world and sell it – given the many financial aids that the Ministry of Magic has to cover after all the damages after the war."

Hermione sighed heavily and stared back at the image of the very beautiful necklace with emerald stone for a pendant and couldn't help but wonder who would possibly bid the highest for a mere necklace of no really known origin and magical properties.

"It's been more than a year, Harry." Hermione reasoned closing the paper and placing it aside to have her breakfast. "Almost two years, Harry."

Harry looked up at her with a slight worry in his eyes.

"I know." Harry said with a saddened look over his face. "But it will take more than a year or two to help these families to completely recover."

The war had come and gone and it has been about a year and a half since the fall of the Dark Lord.

Hogwarts had been rebuilt out of all the resources of teachers, students, the government, families of the survivors of the war and some other outside of country resources.

Over all, it wasn't just rebuilding Hogwarts but the whole of the Wizarding World.

The qualms between governments and countries where the magical community secretly resides were all forgotten and laid aside for the moment as they all helped and worked together to complete rebuilding their nation that had come from bad to worse.

A small intention and helping hand had come viral and so bringing back things in order weren't as much as a problem as Harry and the Aurors thought it would be.

Those who were guilty and had lived through the war were taken to the rightful councils and jailed in prison for good awaiting their own sentences.

The government were also re-instating leaders and positions to rightful individuals.

It was an overall good way of clearing out the bad and improving the whole Wizarding World system as they had come to know.

It was the age of recovery as many would call it.

Hermione Granger, alongside many others who wanted to finish their schooling back at Hogwarts were given a chance to do so.

And so the school reopened within the same year but only a month and a half delayed having the term officially began by the end of October.

Classes, work and assignments were doubled given the time they lost, the school's system would really need to catch up.

Hermione had no trouble dealing with it and seems the rest of the school as well – it was a good way to distract each of them for the losses and the devastation of the war.

Ron had decided not to return to school but instead had accepted an offer to train, play and tour as a professional Quidditch Player.

Harry and Hermione had been sad at the thought that he would be leaving them but he was quite devastated enough at the loss of Fred that it looked like it was the only thing that could actually and literally bring back the life and light in his eyes.

They bid him goodbye at the train station that would lead him into another country and another kind of life and had gone back to London.

It had taken Hermione a few weeks before she found her parents again and had restored their memories as soon as she did.

While she helped at the rebuilding of the castle and its system, she would come back home every day for a few months until it was time to return to school.

It had taken her a lot of thinking in the last year she has spent at the school to tell them that after graduating, she would take a job and a post at the Ministry of Magic.

And as always, her parents supported all her decisions and only reminded her that she was always welcome to come home at any point of her life that she would like her mother's hot chocolate and her bedroom would remain as it was.

Hermione took her luggage with her to Hogwarts and took it back out the same way at the last day of her stay there.

It was almost an uneventful year – only filled with school work – and other necessary academic bearings to go through for a full year.

The Slytherins had mostly stayed to themselves and the bullying had all died down given their position at the society for what most of them and their families had contributed at the dark side.

The bunches that had been associated with the war had either left school completely or had returned to endure a year-long of scathing looks from others just to ensure their academic future and fulfillment.

Draco Malfoy had been no different from these individuals – he had returned to school to most of the surprise of the people there, including Hermione.

But he had become different.

Even from the Slytherin crowd, he had kept away and had kept mostly to himself.

He would usually come to class as the earliest and would leave the first the moment it finishes.

Hermione would usually find him at the farthest corner of the library that he seemed to have marked his spot – or rather nobody would come near him or make friends with him.

He worked mostly only with himself.

Once or twice, Hermione had tried to help him out with a book in the library he was looking for – but apparently, not even the good out of the war could help Draco be a little warm to his fellow students at the least.

He only took the books at both occasion and had not said a word at Hermione.

In might have been spite or might have been the shame he was bearing all over himself with the Dark Mark forever burned in his left hand – but Hermione had generally then stopped trying to reach out for the boy when there obviously was no point to it given the messages he was obviously throwing out at her.

Hermione could get a message the moment it was sent up into the air.

She had stopped trying eventually and Draco had then become a complete outcast into the school's community.

Neville, Ginny and Luna had returned to finish their schooling and to find themselves ready for a couple of job offers right out of school.

Hermione didn't have a hard time either.

Given her contribution at the war and her academic excellence and proof from teachers, jobs ran after her and not the other way around.

But she wanted to work at the Ministry of Magic to the departments that tackled the issues of the society and how to make life better to those who were at the lowest part of the social class.

Right out of graduation, everybody went to their own lives and with the good and respective jobs they've all learned.

Harry Potter never went back to school.

A few months after the war, he had been offer a position at the Auror's Department.

He would be lead into a series of training and honing his skills and advance classes he would be taking at the Ministry of Magic himself by both retired and leading Aurors of the time.

Harry had jumped into the opportunity and had given his decisions to headmistress McGonagall personally at his visit at Hogwarts as he oversee the improvement and rebuilding of the school.

The headmistress was slightly saddened not to have her best Quidditch player back but she was glad that Harry had immediately found what he wanted to do with his life and would be trained under a better government and array of people.

She had also said that he was welcome any time to take a visit at school and to write to her would he need any kind of advice at all – may it be academic or for life in general.

Harry then spent the rest of the time helping rebuild the school and its system and soon, had received the letter letting him know that training begins once the system was all back up and raining at the Ministry of Magic – which had been a month ahead before Hogwarts reopened.

Harry then whisked his luggage from the school that has been housing him since after the war and had found himself in a small apartment building where Aurors in training had stayed until they were officially conducted as Aurors.

Right before Ron had left, the Golden Trio had met up for a final dinner together.

Hermione was tearful upon seeing her bestfriends after the days and weeks they weren't together and only corresponded through letters.

They had shared the night away with good food and drinks that had all been paid for by the restaurant they stayed in lieu and grace of having the opportunity to have the Golden Trio in his place.

It had been a privilege like no other the owner had said.

And after that, they had returned to their lives – Ron had packed up to his travel, Harry had gone back to London to begin his Auror training while Hermione had been whisked back to Hogwarts for a year to finish her academe.

A year later then, Hermione had found herself a small apartment unit at a high-rise just a few blocks away from where Harry had been staying in his own one at a little more luxurious place.

Hermione had mostly wanted to keep things simple and had wanted to live off as a minimalist.

While Harry was the same, a lot of things and opportunities were given to him after everything that he had done for the world.

He didn't have trouble sorting out which he'd need or would want or would savor graciously – and he had shared all this with Hermione Grange all the same as she was the only family had had after everything.

Sirius had gone and despite that Remus Lupin survived the battle, he had been away with his son Teddy traveling since the war had been over out of his devastation at the loss of his beloved wife.

Harry and Hermione had been living that way – Hermione had begun her work at the Ministry of Magic round the clock – living off from takeouts and meals and coffee with Harry while Harry had advanced to the Auror Department himself after his year of training and was mostly the point of jokes that he would soon become the Head Auror in a year where voting of positions would be placed.

They were both living well and with enough of what they both wanted in their lives, or at the least that was what Harry believed they were doing.

Despite and inspite it all, he had not seen a growing emptiness in Hermione that even she herself had not foreseen.

Hermione Granger lined up at the long line across the Ministry of Magic by the lunch hour.

It usually took her an hour to grab herself a cup of coffee and a pastry or sandwich or so and get back to her office just as work hour resumes – she doesn't mind.

Hermione always preferred to finish everything she has to do before anything else, even meal times.

"Hermione?" called out a small voice.

Hermione looked up ahead of her where five people down stood Neville who was nearing the register.

"Neville!" Hermione excitedly squealed gaining gazes at her direction. "Sorry."

Neville smiled right back at her and had pointed at a corner where he managed to save a small table out of the very packed café.

"Yes, sure, I will!" Hermione said checking her small watch knowing that after taking her coffee, she would have to go back to the office.

But the office could wait – it was very rare that she would ever see Neville.

Summer had just began and Neville was surely out with his feet enjoying the summer break.

The moment he graduated from school, he had been offered the post for Herbology as professor Spout had claimed that she was too old and too tired from the war to work any further.

Despite of his shy nature, Neville had no qualms from rejecting the position over to him – he had loved and was best at the subject for as long as he could remember and professor Sprout was the first one to recommend him for the position.

Taking his things and kissing his grandmother goodbye two weeks before school term began, Neville packed his way back to Hogwarts – but this time, as a professor.

And today, Hermione just couldn't wait to hear from him all the changes he has made at the school and the experience of being a teacher and not as a student.

"Everything has just been – I don't know – amazing, is that the word?" Neville asked as he took a sip from his large coffee and resumed eating his large breakfast plate.

Hermione stared and saw the glow of passion and life in his eyes.

Neville was truly enjoying his life at that very phase of his life.

"I'm sure." Hermione said raising her cup to cheer up.

Neville smiled at him and continued with his stories of the school and how life was being at him at the moment.

McGonagall had given him a dormitory of his own now that he was a professor and had been advising him into handling his students.

Professor Sprout, despite her retirement, had continued to live within the school grounds and was continuously helping Neville and Hagrid take good care of the plants of sorts that were growing all over the school.

"She's writing a book?" Hermione excitedly asked Neville.

"Yes." Neville replied smiling at him. "I haven' t officially really helped her but she's like still mentoring me and teaching me stuff so I've offered to help her in her further research into writing her book – not much of a work, really. I'd only come to the greenhouses and bring in and out the plants she would need then I'm off to check the papers of students. Blimey Hermione, kids these days – smarter, more determined and kinder in a sense. They do love my subject."

"Ofcourse they would." Hermione said with a smile. "What's not to love? And you are a good teacher, you will make a good bunch of students, Neville."

Neville blushed at her and went back onto his meal as he asked her then what she has been doing and how Harry had been doing.

"So you're not dating Harry Potter?" he asked with a coy smile. "Never?"

"Not never, really." Hermione thoughtfully said. "It's just.. I don't know. I haven't found us in that way and I tell you, he's more excited with his training and Quidditch books."

"So he's not interested in you?"

Neville was too busy with his food to notice her blush.

Nope, that wasn't the case.

In fact, Hermione just then recalled the time they came from a party very, very drunk indeed and had found themselves in Harry's apartment making out until dawn but nothing further than that.

The following day, they both decided never to talk about it and had gone off the next hour laughing about it while Harry taught her how to play a wizard's chest.

"I think it's both not our priorities." Hermione then replied with a smile as she stirred her cup of coffee.

"So you don't like Harry." Neville concluded with a smile.

Hermione giggled.

"Not that I don't and it's not like there's nothing to like." Hermione had said unsure why she was revealing as much to Neville.

But looking back, they had gone through so much that even if they didn't really hang out much at school years before, he had been like a brother to her and she as a sister to him.

"So what is it?" Neville curiously asked. "Some papers had noted you two are dating. You could be seen leaving his apartment and him leaving yours at the latest of hours or never leaving at all."

Hermione sort of alarmed Neville as she chuckled out the serious look over his face.

"Neville, we live off a very few blocks from one another." Hermione stated. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It's all these papers making a fuzz."

Hermione's eyes then narrowed after recalling the memory that Rita Skeeter, after spending a few months in and out of Azkaban for writing lies and accusations about others, still was able to put up a small printing company of her own and continued to write down lies of sorts.

"She's just for entertainment." Hermione said realizing that Neville must have read something about them from an article by the woman. "But here's the real scoop - Harry and I are friends – we've dated yes, but at the moment that isn't a priority. It's not that he likes me not or I like him not, it's just – it's just-"

"You haven't found a spark in him that will just make you say yes to him." Neville finished off as he halfway finished his meal.

"Neville!" Hermione said almost coughing over her coffee.

"It's true." Neville said raising his cup of coffee to his lips. "It's not like we boys don't know. Harry always liked you – love you perhaps through the years – but you were always.. I don't know.. It's not a way to offend you or what – but well, you were always seemingly looking, searching for something or someone else out there."

"Oh, I'm not." Hermione quickly said feeling the denial run through her blood.

"Yes you do." Neville said with a smile over his face. "You can't always do that."

"Can't do what?"

"Wait for the universe to conspire to give you your prince charming." Neville said. "You actually got to be out there – meeting people, loving life and everything else in between. And Harry, he worries at you at times. He says he doesn't say anything but he could sense it."

"Sense what?"

"That you're far off at times." Neville said as he finished his breakfast. "It's like you're always waiting for the universe to throw someone right at you. You can't do that. The war is over, Hermione. You've got to live it the way everyone else is doing. You also need some time off from your books and all that, you know."

Hermione only smiled back at her friend.

Despite everything that he has said, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all as he did make sense.

After all, it came from some school boy he used to know who had always been bullied and today – he hardly looked that part – he looked physically better, hair tamed well, slightly thinner and wearing a respectable set of robes that completely acted out the part of his profession.

"Cheers to you, Neville." Hermione said raising her cup again. "I am proud of you."

"Thanks 'Mione." Neville replied blushing. "It's all thanks to you and Harry's friendship I ever really survived everything."

There was a crisp of cold air even though it was summer as he entered the large place.

It was probably one of the largest kind of structure in one floor he's ventured into.

It had been a week now and the adjustment period wasn't that easy at all – what with the things he had to quickly learn and catch up into, the meetings and arrangements he had to make to smoothen every part of his plan out and the littlest and utter things he had to come across and endure in order for his plans to go as he required it all to.

If he would take a closer look there were small bits of flaws in his plans but all of that could be easily mended if the rest of his plans would come accordingly.

He had just endured phase one – the next phase was slightly and a little bit harder than he'd thought it would be, but nothing could go wrong for as long as he was patient enough with all of it.

He moved forward in his elegantly booted feet towards the large pane of glass of the window where the whole city of London could be overlooked.

The Penthouse wasn't bad but it took him a while to acquire it completely – not that the owner wasn't willing – but it were the people, the documents and the condition of the mother of the owner that made it all difficult.

No matter, he was there now and he completely owned the place.

And in all honesty, the whole place didn't need much of a decoration in his honest opinion – everything was elegant and in dark hues – just the way he would want it.

It was as if the previous owner of the flat had been his alter ego of some sort.

"Yeah, I'm sure." he muttered shaking his head in mock at the insult of that thought.

Ofcourse he was nowhere the same as the man who used to own the place – he may be the top of his social class, but he was absolutely nowhere like him.

He was a Prince from where he had come from, a god even.

He closed his eyes, inhaled and basked in his own power that was surging through him.

A light glowed and his robes, cape and boots had quickly vanished and was replaced by a beautiful set of elegant suit.

Top-class, elite and most handsome at that state – exactly the way he would want to blend into the crowd he would then want to pursue.

He walked back to the middle of the room where a work table was set at another room.

An elegant card was placed at the top of the table.

It was already an open invitation about the upcoming ball and fundraising event.

He picked it up and read the name of the owner of the penthouse and with the slight glow from the staff that appeared in his hand, the name immediately had changed into what he would be using into that world until his plans were all set and he could introduce himself into the world he was about to take over.

He smiled at himself as the new name appeared and he pocketed it at the left jacket-pocket of his suit and turned, slowly humming and striding his way out of the door and into the night.

"Just an hour or two, Hermione." Harry said as he struggled by the elevators with his itching suit. "I told you I hate going to these things."

"You look very handsome." Hermione said as she moved to face him and helped him out and straightened out his attire.

He looked back at her.

"You owe me one." Harry said with a smile.

"Add it up to the list, Mr. Potter." Hermione had said. "Come on, this is for the house-elves."

"Yes, I know." Harry said pinching her cheeks lightly. "It always has been for some sort of charity department you're handling. This by the way, is the eleventh I've attended."

"So you're keeping track?"

"I'm telling you I don't want to be a frequent on this. I don't want to be marked as some party animal."

"And you're not." Hermione pointed out. "Besides, you only attended the fund-raising ones and sorts. Come on, we will raise money for the department if they see war-hero Harry-"

"Yes, yes, I already know that." Harry said making her turn around to tighten the zip of her elegant black cocktail dress with emerald lining that matched her large pair of emerald stone earrings.

"Do I look okay?" she nervously asked him as they nearly reach their floor.

"You look a lot like a Slytherin tonight." Harry said with stern and narrowed eyes.

Worry passed her eyes.

"I forgot to do some laundry and this was the only thing that was suitable for the occasion-"

"Well, it's Malfoy's occasion so I'm quite sure he wouldn't mind seeing you in the papers tomorrow morning supporting his house and all-"

"I'm not joking – do I look-"

 _"_ _You look perfect_." Harry said as he moved closer her as if to kiss her.

He held her by the arms and stared back at her as if she was the most precious thing the heavens had thrown down upon him.

Their eyes locked in just as the elevator sounded and the pair of doors slowly opened up.

They were immediately greeted by a flock of crowd and a band was just starting off the music.

They were an hour late at the ball because Harry had always wanted to come later for it was a lot quiet that way and it saves them from being formally introduced to the whole crowd.

"Come." Harry had said quickly taking her hand and slipping her somewhere where they wouldn't be seen by a lot of people. "I'm actually quite starving."

The agenda was that their presence was there, meet a few people who were rich or powerful enough to fund their departments and charities, a few chat and drinks and leave the way they came in – quiet and unmonitored by the crowd.

"There are Daily Prophet people around." Hermione had said pointing across the darkened party place where the dim lights had already been put up.

"They're always around." Harry had said. "I'll grab us something to drink while I make my way to the Minister and his crowd."

Hermione looked up and saw the Minister of Magic himself talking to some foreign witches and wizards.

"He doesn't stay, does he?" Hermione asked.

"Nope." Harry said. "He does what we do. I got the idea from him. Anyway, stay here, I'd be right back."

Hermione nodded as Harry left her at a corner wall of the party.

Some people already saw them and they only shyly nodded and smiled back at those people.

Cocktails were being served everywhere as food were being graciously and abundantly given away.

Her sleepy brown eyes roamed around the room.

The day at the Ministry had been quite long and if only this event wasn't for the house-elves, she wouldn't be there dragging Harry along with her in the first place.

It was held at one of the most expensive event venues in London – ofcourse it was gallant and expensive, it was after all, headed by none other than Draco Malfoy.

But he wasn't present at the event night.

God knows where he was at the moment this fund-raising ball was taking place.

Hermione had always known that his 'goody side' wasn't going to last – that he was going to get tired pretending he like helping people out.

Then again, she couldn't blame him.

He wasn't exactly cursing everyone with his Dark Arts skill set but he still ofcourse would never be able to get away from the attitude he had always had in himself.

And after being casted away by the society, she could almost understand why he'd prefer not to attend the things he was doing for the sake of clearing his and his mother's name in the community.

It took Harry about ten minutes to get back to her with a cocktail glass and a stick of seafood in his hand.

He had been talked with by the people he passed by and the crowd was garnering through dancing and the bid that were taking place.

The night had been quite as it always had been in the parties they've both attended – them having drinks and their conversations being cut off as one after another would chance upon and recognize them and talk to Harry.

He was a celebrity in no doubt.

But he as good at keeping himself down to the ground and that's what why a lot more of people loved him.

"Do your thing, I'm fine here." Hermione said sipping through her second glass of alcohol through the night. "And then get back here and get me another of that chocolate thingy."

Harry chuckled and kissed her on the forehead after his fourth glass and nodded at her as he left her.

People ofcourse talked about them – the unlabeled couple they were, but a couple nevertheless.

The lights slowly changed and went a little bit darker than it already was.

People slowly stared up at the stage and the sounds slowly faded away.

The Minister of Magic welcomed the crown with a smile and a drink in his hands as a pair of wizards brought up the stage the last item to be sold for the evening's bid.

"Feast your eyes ladies and gentlemen as we present to you tonight's main event, ' _The Desiderata'"_

Hermione moved two steps forward with the crowd in great awe as something large, shimmering and immensely beautiful was offered to the crowd's eyes.

Hermione barely heard and understood the Minister's Description of the jewelry as she was already too enticed by it.

It was a necklace – its lace was made out of beaded out diamonds and at the midst of it as the pendant, was a very large emerald stone – encrusted and shaped beautifully.

She was so enamored by it as if it was calling her name that she barely heard Harry call her name in actual and walked by her side.

He placed his hand gently around her arm and stared back at the jewelry.

"Where did they find this?" Hermione whispered to Harry. "It's so beautiful – nothing like the photograph."

"Long been kept away, I told you already." Harry muttered. "Probably found upon the raids the Ministry has taken to the houses of those who were guilty or thought of as abusers of the old regime and times. That's our guess."

"So nobody owns it?" Hermione asked. "The days had passed before this event and you never really found anything else about it?"

"Nothing." Harry said. "It was like some universe sent gift by the gods as they'd say at the office."

Hermione looked back at him as they moved a little closer to view it better.

"Everything that's place for bid here has either been donated to the government by rich individuals or the Ministry of Magic has found from raids without labeling who owned them since the origins would most probably be not the ones they got it from – their list of owners or to who sold it to who is a very long and messy one – trust me, you're going to get nutters reading it."

"It's so beautiful." Hermione whispered as the bidding had begun and ladies after another were raising out their money like it was the end of the world tonight.

Harry looked around as nudged at her, pointing across the room as the bids went higher.

He leaned closer her and went for her ear.

"I told you the rich will never run out of money." Harry whispered as he took another soft sip from his glass.

"If I had the money, I'd buy it." Hermione whispered without taking her eyes off the necklace as it shimmered at the middle of the room. "I'd help charities and I'd have something nice to wear walking out of this place."

"Would you like me to buy it?" Harry asked smiling sheepishly at her.

Hermione was quickly distracted as she looked back at him.

"No." she whispered at him firmly pressing his arm. "Don't waste your money on it and I wouldn't let you. And most importantly you don't have the money for it."

"You don't think I could?" Harry said with a challenge in his gaze.

"It's too expensive and I wouldn't let you." Hermione whispered back at him grasping his hand to stop him from raising it.

"I'd buy you the world, Hermione Granger." Harry whispered right at her cheek and before Hermione could do anything, Harry had made a few steps forward and raised his hand up in the air.

"Three thousand galleons over here!" he called out.

Hermione angrily stepped on his foot and he only replied with a smile as the crowd cheered over at their direction upon seeing who made the bid.

"He's joking, minister!" Hermione called out with a striking smile pulling Harry's arm back down. "We don't have money!"

The crowd laughed and cheered for them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the presence tonight of our dearest Miss Hermione Granger and ofcourse, Mr. Harry Potter."

There were louder welcome and cheers this time around.

"Three thousand five hundred if you please, Minister!" Harry called out as he raised his glass as gesture to the crowd.

The cheers became louder.

"Three thousand five hundred galleons from our beloved Mr. Harry Potter!" the Minister of Magic called out at the crowd. "Anyone wanting to take if off Mr. Potter's hands?"

"Four thousand!" a girl from the crowd had cheered up with a large laugh. "And maybe I'd also buy off Mr. Harry Potter!"

There were laughter and cheers as they stared at the direction of the very old lady who raised her glass towards Harry and Hermione's direction.

They quickly recognize her as one of the most active in charity events – a Pure-Blood and she owned a publishing book company and had given Hermione a generous amount of books after telling them that they had not only save lives that night at the war, but souls who wanted to be given a chance to repent the sins from the old ways.

"It's Mrs. Dawson." Hermione pointed out smiling at her and waving her hand at her in greeting.

Harry raised his glass back at the woman who sent over a flying kiss at their direction.

The old woman smiled back at them as the crowd resumed to its bidding.

"Four thousand five hundred!" a middle-aged businessman had called out from the crowd.

"Oh, come on." Harry groaned finishing the last drops of alcohol from his glass. " _Five thousand_!"

"Harry, stop it!" Hermione laughed at him placing her arms around his neck to cover his mouth.

It had always been like that in bidding - Harry Potter would come and grace the event with his presence and would bid out his own money to tease the crowd - to tease them to raise their bid in order for the Ministry to gain more for the charities they had been helping recover since after the war.

And it had always been a very successful trick of trade for them.

Cheers and more drinks filled the air as bidder after another tried to buy off the most expensive, most beautiful and most sought after jewelry in the ranks of the items that were being sold out.

Harry and Hermione were laughing out, holding one another with their drinks and Hermione reminding him that he only had seven thousand galleons in his bank account and another three that was left from the savings his mother and father had left him years before.

Hermione also generously reminded him of the bills he had to pay for the coming months.

They were both drunk and happy enough that Hermione had let him kiss her over the cheek with an embrace as they listened to the crowd went louder and wilder as bidder after another came about, continuously battling for the crowned jewel.

The cheers grew louder from the excited crowd as the bid had gone up to nine thousand galleons.

However, every sound slowly faded into silence as was the crowd as a deep, and unfamiliar Brit-accented voice came from the midst of the room from someone who had bid twenty thousand galleons for the necklace.

Everyone stared at the direction of the voice and even Harry and Hermione who were both drunk enough to pass out for the night had slowly come back to their right senses.

The intensity of the silence in the room had consumed most of them that even the Minister couldn't speak.

The amount of money that was spoken was beyond any has ever heard of for the past years.

The highest bidders who would go after the most expensive finds would stop at fifteen and Lucius Malfoy holds the record years ago for a dark artifact that mounted to twelve-thousand galleons.

"Twenty thousand galleons." spoke the enigmatic voice as footsteps came from the grand staircase where he made his entrance.

Everyone stared up at his direction as he walked forward and had slowly raised his glass to the Minister of Magic.

All eyes were upon the man as he slowly walked forward the stage.

"I'll make it thirty – paid in full tonight – if you let me take this beauty home in a nice package instead of it being delivered."

The Minister's eyes slowly ran towards the council of government at the side of the room who were all staring in awe the man in front of him.

They gave him a small nod despite they still weren't able to function properly at hearing such a large sum and amount of money.

"And I would need your name, sir." the Minister said barely able to speak as he forced out a smile.

The crowd stared as the man slowly turned around in gesture and smiled back at the Minister.

"Thirty-thousand galleons from the Prince of Asgaard if you please." the man answered with a sheepish and proud grin over his handsome face. "Or you can call me your _Majesty."_

Harry and Hermione were near enough the stage to see him but not close enough to clearly see his face as he was at the other side of the bidding podium.

The man had long dark hair that ran until the top of his shoulders, had pale skin and was wearing an elegant set of black suit.

He had a beautiful glimmer in his eyes but a smile that Harry didn't exactly trust.

"He's joking right?" Hermione whispered into Harry's ears. "That's not his name?"

"They can give any name they'd want." Harry whispered back. "If they want to be anonymous donors."

"I could hardly think this one could be kept anonymous from the paper tomorrow." Hermione answered back.

She stared right out at the middle of the room as the man waited for the Minister's answer with a smile.

Hermione craned her neck as she tried to see the face of the man who had bid the highest tonight.

She wasn't really expecting it but out of the blue as he stepped down the stairs to greet the crowd, his eyes settled to her.

Whether it was on purpose or a mere accident that his eyes roamed the crowd and had settled on her, Hermione wasn't sure.

A glimmer of blue – _or was it green –_ passed his eyes and it quickly flickered away as he looked back to the rest of the crowd and the Minister as if waiting to be cheered on.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked noticing Hermione suddenly clutching her chest.

"I'm fine." Hermione said unable to determine where the feeling across her chest had come from as it had passed as quickly as it had come.

She looked up at the man again who was staring back at the Minister and was giving some big smile as he raised his hand a little.

Hermione noticed he was holding a staff in his hand – the coin and symbol of money and power.

She looked up again at the man but he no longer stared back at her.

There was that connection at that very split moment that their gazes connected and some sort of chill came right up to her spine and an unknown excitement passed her senses.

The Minister raised his hand into the air for the crowd.

"Going once? Going twice?!" he called out with a forced smile over his face.

Nobody dared to top that one.

Not just of the money he had already laid out but at the surprise that someone like him existed – willing to pay a lot of money, that lot of money for a necklace – that amounted to the same amount of buying off an island off the coast.

 _"_ _Going thrice_?" the Minister said as he called out at the crowd.

His eyes caught Harry's and Harry nodded at him in an understanding.

"SOLD!" the Minister officially announced to the whole room as he raised his hand from the jewelry to the man.

The cheers started to come up again as the man in front nodded gratefully and thankfully at him and at the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, _The Desiderata."_ the Minister repeated once more. "Sold for thirty-thousand galleons to this gentleman, the Prince of Asgaard."

A glimmer in his eyes and a knowing smile came from the face of the gentleman in the black suit as he nodded to the cheering crowd without any other word.

The music resumed as the normal dimly lights did and the crowd slowly settled but with their eyes and whispers still about the man who had just bought the most expensive jewel of the night with an amount of money that was rarely or never really heard of in a bidding event.

Harry and Hermione moved to the corner of the room and watched two wizards who brought out the jewelry to be cased protectively and to be handed to the man.

They watched as the Minister asked his assistant to quickly file out some documents for the man to sign.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as he shook hands with the Minister with that glimmer of a smile over his face.

Something was daunting and hauntingly beautiful at the smile at the face of the man.

"Know him?" Hermione whispered as the party resumed to its normal course although some women were now whispering and deciding to go and talk to the possibly the richest individual in the room.

"No." Harry said as he moved Hermione away from the crowd. "Malfoy probably does."

"Yeah." Hermione said as she continued looking across the room where the man was now making some short conversation with the Minister. "Looks like his age and crowd anyway."

"He looks older." Harry suggested as he took her by the arm. "Let's go home?" he asked her.

Hermione wasn't listening.

Her eyes were still at the man across the room who had just shaken the Minister's hand and was preparing to leave the event with his beautiful jewel.

"He's leaving?" Hermione whispered at Harry as she slowly pointed across.

"Maybe?" Harry asked slightly annoyed by Hermione's attitude. "You want to stay, you want to leave?" he asked her.

"Sorry." Hermione said realizing her attitude. "Come on, let's go home. I'm quite sleepy and dizzy from all the drinking."

"You look slightly unwell."

"It's the drink." Hermione said. "It's better and a really good idea we go home now."

Harry gladly took her in his arms.

They both nodded at the Minister who was now talking to someone and had only looked up at their direction as Harry raised his hand letting him know that they were leaving already.

Hermione had been quite sleepy and dizzy from all the drinks that she had taken that night that she didn't notice that Harry was quietly observing her gaze as they exited the party together – that very gaze that told him that she was wondering and looking for that man who had bid the highest tonight and had already disappeared from crowd and sight the moment the box of jewelry he had just bought in was handed to him.


	4. Chapter 4

**_II_**

 _ **Café Rameau**_

"You sure I can't accompany you?" Harry asked Hermione as he followed her out of her department and straight to the corridor that led to the lifts.

"It's Monday afternoon." Hermione said with a nice smile at him. "It's my Me-Time kind of day, remember?"

"You can pretend you bumped into me." Harry offered as he pressed the lift button for her to take.

"Yes, I'm quite sure that will work alright." Hermione said as Harry helped her in her traveling cloak and handed her purse. "I'll make pasta and see you tonight. Go upstairs – you've got a meeting in half an hour."

Harry nodded and looked disappointed.

Monday afternoon had always been her time to have some time off.

The afternoon hours used to be occupied by another department for creatures that had closed down a few weeks ago due to lack of fund.

The department had hitched onto another and Hermione was then given free afternoon for Mondays.

Harry kissed her over the cheek before letting her take the empty lift.

"I'll see you tonight." Harry said with a smile.

"Don't forget to eat your lunch." Hermione said standing back at the wall of the lift and waving her hand back at him.

Harry send off a flying kiss as the doors closed down.

It clicked closed and Hermione's smile slowly faded from her face.

She sighed heavily as she pulled out a small notebook from her sling bag as the lifts moved downward.

She opened the list and flipped pages one after another.

There were things to-do on the list, places to go to and so on and so forth but at the few pages from the last was a long list of things that she had always wanted to do _– her bucket list._

Out of the nearly thirty-something list, there were only a handful that had been crossed out.

She stared and read a few of them then sighed heavily as the lifts clicked to the ground floor.

Hermione quickly closed her notebook and pocketed it back into her bag just before dismounting the lift.

"Goodafternoon, Miss Granger." the old woman behind the register greeted Hermione as the café's bar rang about when she entered.

She smiled back at the woman and went to the counter.

"The usual?" she asked her.

"Yes, please." Hermione said taking out a few money from her sling bag. "And maybe a small platter of the usual pasta – I haven't eaten."

"Yes, will you be staying in or to-"

"Staying in." Hermione said handing the money over.

The old woman took note of her order and prepared the change and called out for her order back at the kitchens.

"Maybe you would like to wait for a bit Miss Granger?" she offered handing over the change.

"No, I'll stay at the usual spot." Hermione said smiling back at the woman.

"Oh, but can I get you another table, Miss Granger? Your table is sort of.. taken.."

Hermione looked up and around and moved her eyes at the farthest corner of the café.

The café was a usual place for her and the farthest corner table was her favourite every single time.

It was usually empty or reserved for her but today, someone buried behind a tall stack of books, a platter of half eaten steak and two cups of coffee mugs.

She looked back right up at the counter.

"Oh, well, I can have my order for take-out then." Hermione said with a small smile as she thought she could take her late lunch and coffee back at her apartment.

Maybe a good nap instead for the afternoon was better than an afternoon out with a book.

"Sorry, dear." the old woman said as she gave Hermione a warm smile. "I promise I would reserve next time he isn't here for the whole night."

"The whole night?" Hermione repeated as the cup of coffee was handed to her.

"Yes." the old woman said. "Been here since my shift started and Bart – that red haired little boy that does the night shift – said he's been here since around ten lastnight."

Hermione's eyes widened at the thought of it.

The café was 24 hours but she barely ever knew anyone who stayed or lasted that long there.

The longest she's ever stayed in there was with Harry – a dinner and coffee night with him from seven in the evening that lasted only until two in the morning but that was it.

"Who's he?" Hermione curiously asked then. "What's he doing?"

"Don't know." the old woman said shaking her head back at her. "Young Bart's said he's been ordering through the hours so he isn't exactly taking a space for nothing for hours. Says a new face and has never been here."

"I see." Hermione had said as her ordered meal was halfway prepared for takeout then.

"But he does look all brushed up and all – like he doesn't really belong in the social class in this area – not that there's something wrong with it."

Hermione only gave her a small chuckle as she stared at the direction of her favourite spot that was presently occupied.

Her eyes roamed back at the corner of the room where the man had been reading but from where she stood, she couldn't make out the stacks of books he had occupied himself with through the hours.

Just as her pack of take out had been given, the second table away from her favourite spot had been emptied by an old couple who were about to leave.

Hermione quickly grabbed her meal and her cup of coffee and quickly jumped over the table to occupy it before anyone else did.

She breathlessly threw her sling bag at the other chair and opened up her take out to be devoured there.

Her eyes were throwing looks across the room to see who had occupied her usual table.

But whoever it was, he was very immersed and busy in the books he had been reading and it made her even more curious.

It was a café but she's barely ever seen anyone read that much of books or actually be focused on reading in a place as crowded and as noisy as it was that afternoon.

She had just unpacked her pasta and was halfway into opening to indulge herself when out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the man stand up and had gone into the men's room.

She looked around her and back at the now empty table.

Her eyes took another round around the café and when she was sure that nobody was looking, she quickly strode forward the table to check out the books he had been reading.

Her eyes were quick and she already had a mental picture of the cover of the books as she read through the titles as fast as she could.

"History books?" Hermione muttered to herself. "Dark Arts Defensive books? Fantastic Beasts and-"

" _May I help you?"_ asked a deep and calm voice behind her.

"Fuck." Hermione muttered to herself closing her eyes and already knowing that the man had returned to his table only to find her hunched and bent over his table.

"May I help you?" repeated the voice and this time Hermione could swear a hint of forced politeness in it.

"Sorry." Hermione said quickly standing up and turning to the man. "I was just – "

She looked up at him and stared up only to have her voice lost and her eyes widened at the sight of the man.

"Yes?" the man said standing straight and tall before her.

Hermione had lost her voice as the handsome man stared back at her.

"You –" Hermione said gently pointing at his direction. "It's you-"

"It's me?" repeated the voice. "I'm sorry, am I missing something here?"

"The man – you're the man who bought –" Hermione began feeling stupid and foolish at her jumping into one squared conclusion immediately.

She shook her head.

"Sorry. Got a little over-excited there." Hermione quickly said blushing furiously.

"Have we met before?" he interrupted her with slightly narrowed eyes and Hermione couldn't tell if he was contemplating if they've met before or was plainly annoyed by her presence within his personal space.

"Well – you – we were – I was-" Hermione was at loss for words.

She didn't want to sound like she was stalking him in some manner despite that she was already caught red-handed snooping over his table.

"Again, may I help you?" the man merely repeated walking past her and back to his chair. "Is there any reason you're here at my table?"

Hermione could not be mistaken at the hint of annoyance in his voice.

He was well-dressed into a full black soon, his slightly long hair was neatly drawn and combed back in a sleek manner that oddly reminded her of Draco Malfoy and his pale face and greenish or bluish eyes made him look way better than how he sounded at the moment.

He stared back at her, waiting for her answer and Hermione blushed furiously at the way his eyes roamed back at her as if reading right through her soul.

Hermione's eyes were quick and she quickly pointed over the pepper at the side of his plate.

"I was wondering – if I can – sort of – borrow-"

"This one?" he asked taking it from the table and handing it over to her.

Hermione reached for it and for a very split moment, the ends of her fingers passed the back of his hands.

Their eyes locked in and Hermione could swear that she felt an actual and familiar jolt right down to her spine.

She continued to stand there wordlessly gaping at him.

He quickly let go of it and his eyes moved away from her for a moment as if he also felt it.

Hermione lowered her hand with the pepper and looked away.

"Is there anything else?" he asked politely at Hermione's flushed faced.

"I-I'm sorry." Hermione said quickly taking the pepper and cursing herself. "Thanks – th-thanks for this."

The man only nodded at her and was obviously back into being disinterested and only disturbed by her presence all the same.

Hermione had walked two paces away from the table but had quickly turned back unable to stop herself.

It startled the man as she breathlessly stood before him.

"What is the-"

"Did you happen to attend a sort of grand event or ball these past few days or about a week or so?" she asked in a very fast manner that she was sure that she was barely heard at all.

Hermione felt extremely stupid at that very moment but she was almost sure that it was him who had bought the Desiderata – _almost._

Back at the party, her distance to the man who had claimed the valued jeweled had been close enough to see his features but not close enough to actually see how he looked like.

He looked up at her with curious eyes and he looked somewhere in between perplexed and entertained at the sight of her.

His handsome face turned slightly and he opened his mouth to answer when someone from the other end of the room had excitedly screamed.

They both looked up and before Hermione could understand what was happening, she was being dragged by her arms away from the man by an excited pair that was made out of Ginny Weasley and Fleur Delacour.

"What're you doing here-" Hermione asked them as she was excitedly taken away by the pair.

She looked back at the table at the man but he was suddenly – gone.

"Where's he?"

"Where's who, 'Mione?" Ginny asked squeezing her into her arms. "What are you doing here? I thought you're at work?"

"Oui." Fleur said leaving a peck over her cheek and tightly embracing her for a brief moment. "I've missed you. We're here to buy pastries. Come with us?" she asked her.

But Hermione was still lost in thoughts and wonder as she looked back at the table of the man in black suit and beautiful eyes who had disappeared right before hers.

"I'm home." Harry announced as entered his loft. "I'm home, my darling!"

"Very funny!" Hermione called back up. "I'm in here. Help me with my apron!"

He smiled as he heard Hermione answer from the kitchens and the smell of lasagna wafting well from the kitchens.

He excitedly entered the kitchen to find it half in mess from her cooking and Hermione standing at the corner struggling to remove the tie of her apron.

"Hungry?" she asked as she gestured for him to come closer to help her out.

"Starving." Harry replied walking behind her to help her out of it.

In one tug, he managed to remove it completely and he took it off her and handed it back to her.

"What will you do without me in your life Hermione Granger?"

"I'm sure I'll survive." Hermione said rolling her eyes. "Go change. I'm just going to – right. Nevermind."

But she stopped as Harry already pulled up a chair for himself and had started with the greens she had made.

Hermione shook her head and began taking the lasagna out from the large container and had started serving them on platters.

She happily asked how his day had gone while Harry gobbled down the greens and then the soup and then waited then for the lasagna.

"Loads of work." Harry had said. "We are quite busy this past week to be honest, trying to solve out something with the Astonomy Department."

"Astronomy Department?" Hermione repeated as she placed Harry's lasagna platter over it.

Harry had quickly gone after it.

"Weird astronomical activities they said." Harry answered in a mouthful of the warm and freshly baked lasagna. "Bunch of star-gazing and reading and all that. Almost the same as our Astronomy subject and all that – kind of ridiculous – but well, we couldn't say no to anything or anyone that seeks out the help of the Auror Department?"

"Why, what's going on out there?"

"Well, we don't really know." Harry replied swallowing hard from a mouthful he had just taken in. "I really don't get what's been going on but a bunch of Aurors are actually understanding it and are interested – but since I'm hoping for a position soon enough, I need to be there. I'm just riding my way through it.

"So you're taking the case in?" Hermione asked filling in a tall glass with freshly squeezed orange.

"Yes."

"Well, do you need any help with it?" Hermione asked him. "I was actually good at Astronomy back then."

"Hermione, you were bloody good at it and at everything else back then." Harry said with a sheepish grin. "I'll let you know if we need your help but at the moment, please let my men suffer as they live off with their dignity without your help."

"Oh, shut it."

Harry laughed at her as she made a face at his direction.

"But seriously. If things are going from bad to worse, I'll let you know. God knows how hopeless we can be with this case – the stars? The galaxies and planets? The universe? I could hardly get through the first chapter on our subject before."

"It's easy." Hermione said. "You were just always complaining a lot before. But if you sat down with me in the library way back and tried harder, you would find that studying the stars, the planets ,the galaxies and the entire universe is actually kind of… brilliant."

"Yes, I'm sure." Harry said finishing his first serving of lasagna. "But I'd really appreciate it if we can do some review or some sort. It's driving me mad – all those stars and readings and dates and stuff. It's seriously driving me crazy."

Hermione laughed at him as she settled on her own chair and began over the salad.

"So that means you're sleeping over?" she slowly asked him.

"No." Harry answered her. "I wouldn't sleepover for that."

"But you always wanted a sleepover at my place." Hermione teased him with a grin as she served him another helping of the lasagna.

Harry reached over for it and smiled at her as he took a large bite.

"If I'm sleeping over…" Harry slowly said. "It's not reading the stars or reviewing the stars we'd do."

"Enlighten me." Hermione said with a suspicious look. "What would we do then, Harry Potter?" Hermione asked with a narrowed look over her face and her hands over her hips.

"Oh, I'll make sure you won't just see the stars – but you'd actually be screaming for the mercy of the gods of the universe." Harry said winking devilishly right at her.

 _"_ _Oh, you bloody pig."_ Hermione said throwing her napkin over the table right at him before laughing as hard as he did so across from her.

 _Those gleaming bluish and greenish eyes._

"The sky is so beautiful.." Hermione muttered turning to the other side of the bed.

"You should see the universe." answered a dark voice. "You shall be queen of this universe and of all the other realms."

"It's only you I would want." Hermione whispered closing her eyes as the cold air swept her face. " _Only you."_

Her eyes slowly opened at the sound of her own voice speaking.

She had been talking in her sleep again.

It was a dream-filled sleep once more.

She wasn't sure if she should now call it nightmares because it had been occurring for a couple of nights now and they were mostly dreams of the galaxy and some ice-filled grounds.

Hermione turned to her other side to check the small clock by her bedside – it was exactly three in the morning.

That was odd – for she mostly kept having the dreams either on that exact time or a few minutes before it when she wakes up.

Hermione sighed heavily, tossing and turning until she knew that sleep won't be back in a few hours or be back at all.

She sat back up on her bed in her pjs and spaghetti strap top and buried her face in her lotion-filled hands.

The week had come and again and it was going to be another weekend again.

She had chores and errands to do and some other office work she wanted to finish back at home but she was sure that she was going to be distracted again by Harry tagging her along at the Weasley's or maybe at Bill's or somewhere, some party and get-together again that has been a habit either on a weekly or monthly basis.

Everyone seemed so keen into having a get together – may it be lunch, dinner or just some time at one another's place.

Not that she was being anti-social but they had been doing it since after the war and she felt that it was beginning to lose its charm on her.

She didn't and wouldn't say it to Harry or to any other individual that was really close to her heart, ever since the war had come to a close, she felt quite bored with such occasions that even the Ministry of Magic parties she was required to attend to as an employee had been too dragging.

She didn't want to be misunderstood by the ones she loved and she was extremely happy that most of them had survived the war – but there was something else, something that was seemingly missing from all of it.

And that, she just couldn't quite point her finger into.

She wasn't sure if it was the lack of adrenaline of solving something, of studying or leaning something more, of going somewhere place else – but something, something was lacking and her soul was feeling parched for whatever it was that was seemingly amiss amidst all the happiness and luck they have been enduring since they've won the war against the Dark Lord.

She wouldn't let anyone know of it, but ever since the war, she felt like she's been missing something.

As Hermione had already guessed, the first weekend night was meant to be attended to a large dinner of all of them.

The big together of all friends and family had been postponed for two weeks and so tonight, almost everybody was quite present at the large dinner reservation at Café Rameau.

It was located at the middle of the city and at the side of most hot-spots of dinners, coffee and parties of sorts.

As always, she would arrive with Harry at the dinner while some are already there and the rest would soon follow.

They arrived at quarter past eight that night and the other were already settling in their orders.

Mrs. Weasley greeted her and Harry with a large embrace and kiss before resuming to helping Mr. Weasley who had just arrived to read through the menu of what he could order.

Bill had come back from the men's room while Fleur, Ginny and Luna whom Neville had been rumoured to be dating lately were hunched up in a corner talking low about the latest things they could possibly discuss.

Neville was at the end of the table talking to Lupin and Charlie regarding some plants that could only be seen in rarest of forests in the Eastern part of the country.

Lupin and Charlie had been the two reasons why Hermione was able to drag herself into this big dinner gathering of their circle.

Charlie was back from Romania for a short vacation and Remus Lupin was in town for an unknown period of time.

Remus Lupin had been one of the biggest pillars of the Order while the world was at war. Despite losing his wife at the war, he was left with Teddy who had been nothing but a blissful gift of his late wife.

And with the sadness of his loss that everyone else felt, they had then stayed with Lupin – physically and emotionally – for the long period he needed them until he was fully recovered today from the pain of the loss.

"Great to see you, Miss Granger." Lupin said giving her a kiss over the cheek and an embrace.

"Great to see you too, professor." Hermione said giving the small Teddy a squeeze over the large and fat cheek of the child. "Long flight?"

"Long and exhausting." Lupin replied. "But Greece was a sight to behold."

"Are you staying at an inn?" Harry asked. "You can stay with me."

"Thankyou. I have just arrived lastnight. We slept at Mrs. Weasley's.."

"And he should stay there for as long as he would like." Mrs. Weasley replied as she excitedly greeted and embraced Harry and Hermione.

"Mum's so fond of little Teddy." Bill said as he stood up to greet Harry while Fleur greeted Hermione. "We think she wants another son."

A whole round of laugh was given after that comment.

Harry pulled Hermione at the corner Bill had ushered them to sit down and the menu was quickly handed right at them.

"Heard from Ron?" Hermione asked around the table.

"He's good." Charlie replied. "Great actually. Having the time of his life with Quidditch training and meeting girls."

"He's doing great." George said. "Bloody ecstatic, really."

Everyone turned and squealed at the sight of him.

He was the last to arrive.

Hermione and Harry looked up and excitedly yelled for him to come over for an embrace.

George rarely ever attends their gatherings as he seemed the only one who never fully recovered from the war – which everyone thoroughly understood why.

"It's bloody great to see you." Hermione said with a tear in her left eye. "It's been so long."

"Eleven months, 'Mione." George replied embracing her tightly and kissing her over the head. "Been quite busy."

"We missed you." Harry said in a sincere way shaking his hand and giving him a pat over the back.

"I'm very touched, Potter." George jokingly said. "Come on here mate and give me a kiss." George said grabbing him to give a fake kiss over the lips that Harry tried to avoid and until he grabbed him harder and embraced him tightly around the neck as he pushed himself exactly at the very spot at the middle of Harry and Hermione.

Hermione was pulled farther towards Fleur's side and the two began a tirade of things to talk about while Bill joined in the batch of conversation of Neville, Lupin and Charlie.

Everyone passed their greetings and cheers for him.

He had been traveling a lot – going to place after another as if looking for a solace he has never really found again since the loss of his brother.

But nevertheless, he had lived through it and he had to endure the remaining of his life without his beloved twin.

The dinner had come and gone for about two hours.

Good food, drinks and stories had been shared about the past weeks and months that they had not seen one another.

Ofcourse there were constant jokes about relationships and liasons going all over the papers which Hermione insistently and determinedly said that were all 'made up' by none other than Rita Skeeter who should be put on the mere entertainment part of the papers all over the country.

Ofcourse none of them believed any of the gossips or rumors spreading about.

What for?

They had one another who they could always ask any time about the truth they would want to know.

After all, after all the years and the struggles they've come to cross altogether, at the end of the day they were all family.

But ofcourse, the undying question and joke 'If Hermione and Harry' could already announce that they were a couple.

The two always denied anything that was ever written about them being a couple despite all the things going around at the office or the stolen shots of them around town or when they travel together.

Despite all of it and Mrs. Weasley's denial of the truth about their relationship Hermione insisted that they were best of friends.

And if they would ask Harry?

He wouldn't confirm all of it – but neither would he deny any of it which only seemed to be a translation of 'a yes' to other people.

Hermione would be annoyed about all of it and not that she does mind – but for her, it was hardly ever a priority.

She always proudly said that she was just all happy that they all lived through the war and that was all that she ever really wanted to happen – nothing more, nothing less.

They were halfway through the servings of some rounds of coffee, desserts, wine and cheese when Hermione's eyes caught something or rather someone across the room.

It was the same man she'd seen at the café.

He was seemingly at the VIP section of Café Rameau and was paying his bill already.

"Harry, could you excuse me?" Hermione whispered as she stood up, squeezing her way away from Harry and Bill who had been blocking her way.

The boys continued on their drinking and stories with Lupin and Charlie as they let her pass.

"I'll be right back." Hermione quickly said as Mrs. Weasley who had been carrying a sleepy Teddy in her arms smiled at her direction.

Hermione managed her way out of their table and before she could reach the VIP part of the café, the spot was already empty and two servers were already cleaning the spot.

"I'm sorry, where's the man in here?" Hermione asked unable to stop herself feeling slightly disappointed.

"The client?"

"Yes." Hermione answered. "The one who was dining here?"

"He already left, Miss." the older server answered with a gentle smile at her. "How may we help you?"

"Oh, nothing." Hermione replied with a slight frown.

She was about to turn already but turned back at the pair.

"Would you mind telling me the name of the client?" she asked before she could stop herself.

They looked at one another then slowly shook their heads.

"We would like to apologize Miss that we can't divulge such information to other customers if it happens that we know the name of the client dining here. It's under our protocol."

"Right." Hermione replied. "Ofcourse. Ofcourse. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Miss." the older one said.

"Would you.. Can you.. Is he a regular here?" she asked unsure if he had been a frequent there that she had always just missed.

It has only been her fourth time at the café – two previous occasions were both a party with the others and one occasion was a dinner meeting with the heads a the Ministry of Magic and today was the fourth.

The older servant opened his mouth to answer but the younger one who both looked excited and glad to be talking to 'Hermione Granger' of the Golden Trio quickly answered her.

"Not really." he revealed. "He dined once two weeks ago. He dined three times last week and this week is his second. But he is a new face around here."

"I see." Hermione said as she slowly backed away from the VIP room. "New face."

Hermione thanked the two and slowly left, lost in her thoughts.

She remembered the same wording of the person back at the café across the Ministry that he was seemingly a new face around town.

Could it be?

He was staying at that part of London for work or vacation?

She didn't want to assume nor think about it, but it seems that he was being frequent at same places she went to.

Was he stalking her?

Or was it all just a mere coincidence?

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned and saw Harry staring questioningly back at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked staring at the now empty VIP room.

"Oh, nothing." Hermione said quickly leading him away from the spot. "Let's go back to the table."

"What were you doing there?" he asked her as she led them back.

"I thought I saw someone. I knew."

"You knew?"

"It's nothing." Hermione said shaking her head. "Can we go home in a while?"

"Why?" Harry asked. "Are you feeling unwell again?"

"A little." Hermione lied at him.

Harry stared back at her.

"Have you been sleeping well or not?" he suddenly asked her.

"I've been sleeping just fine."

"You've been having nightmares or something like it."

"What?" Hermione asked him. "I'm not."

"You've been sleep talking." Harry pointed out. "The two nights I stayed at your place and the one you slept at mine."

"Maybe I'm exhausted or something. I'm fine."

Harry looked doubtful.

"I can ask-"

"Harry, I'm fine." Hermione said holding his hand firmly and pulling him back at their table. "I swear. If something is wrong, you're the first to know."

And before Harry could argue with her, they had reached the table and Hermione suddenly went back into chatting with Fleur, Ginny and Luna about a small thrift bookstore at the end of Diagon Alley that was closing down very soon.

The coming nights had come and gone and Hermione felt that dreadful feeling of being dragged into nothingness and routine once more.

Work load had been piling up no matter how much she worked at the office and Harry had been quite busy within the week himself in the Auror's Department that they weren't really able to have enough time to have dinner and relax within the two weeks that had passed.

The only time they were really able to talk and have a decent meal and time together was the one time that Bill and Fleur invited them for a dinner over at their place, the night the pair of them brought Remus Lupin back to Hogwarts for a quick visit to the headmistress McGonagall that ended to a nice and cozy dinner at Hogsmeade with the headmistress, Neville and Hagrid who they had not seen since he had been quite busy himself with school duties.

The year and months that had come to pass felt very fast for Hermione that she still felt unaccomplished and underwork despite that she had come and gone way ahead of her peers back at Hogwarts.

Hermione dismounted the lift half past nine and the only handful of people at the Ministry were the cleaning staff and a few officers at the Auror Department and some other employees who took care of the security at the building.

"Goodnight, Miss Granger." greeted the people she had passed on her way out of the building.

She greeted them back with her smile and exhaustingly went out of the building with a very loud sigh.

Harry was out with the other Aurors for a project and work they had to do and he told her that he would unlikely be home until the following morning.

She promised him a good meal will be waiting for him at her place the moment he gets back.

Her place had always been the one place Harry crashes whenever he worked overnight or after coming home from some out of town or country duty for the Auror Department as it was located way nearer the Ministry of Magic than the place he had chosen for reasons of privacy.

Hermione was halfway deciding if she was cooking and eating at home or buying food outside to eat or what really to eat for the night when she saw something flash out of the corner of her eyes.

She quickly looked at her side and saw a tall man draped in an elegant cloak or robe and one who had taken a photograph up at the highrise structure of their building.

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to take a closer look at the man.

He was slightly far from her and it was quite dark by now that she could hardly see him clearly.

 _Was he a tourist?_

Hermione had come to a decision to walk away when she saw it – he waved his hand and something like a long staff with a stone at the end of it appeared and glowed in his hand.

Curiosity took over her.

She slowly turned and took a few steps forward to clearly see what was going on when out of the blue a big light glowed from his staff and then she could see it clearly – something ignited by light practically showed her what looked like a map or some blue print of the Ministry of Magic itself.

Her eyes now narrowed in slight worry – were tourists allowed to do that?

She watched with keen eyes as she tiptoed forward the man who was now manipulating the blue and green glowing light.

He seemed to be studying and reading through the blueprint very carefully.

An air of bad feeling passed Hermione and she slowly drew her wand out from the insides of her robes as she stepped forward.

She looked around her – the alley was dark and there were barely any people passing.

Being attacked by the man she planned to confront would be a very bad idea yet at the same time something told her that this was the right thing to do.

She hoped against hope that she doesn't get killed doing it.

Hermione moved forward as his staff glowed again as if he was planning to do something else.

She paced faster forward with all sorts of spells getting inside her head already including a Patronus should she need any help.

"Oh, fuck it." Hermione muttered as she saw the man manipulate something like light with his bare hands – without a wand. "Hey!"

She strode forward but his attention was quite busy with the magical blueprint he had been studying.

 _"_ _HEY!"_ Hermione called out louder this time around. "Hey, you!"

Finally she had drawn attention – and the slightest hint of panic from the man.

He looked up at her and with a small wave of his wand, the blue print had vanished and all the other glowing lights.

Hermione stopped dead a few feet from him as she realized that he was also too shock to know what to do next.

He was obviously not expecting someone else from around the area at that time of the night.

Hermione gripped her wand harder as she stood there, eyes transfixed at the man she could barely see out of the shadows now that the glowing lights had disappeared.

And then their eyes locked together – bluish or greenish pair of beautiful eyes settled on her.

She stared back at him unblinkingly.

Something like panic and an overwhelming curiosity filled her insides and her stomach was squirming drastically.

She took another step forward with her eyes still trying to see the man's precise facial features for recognition.

She could hardly see him now.

The man had suddenly drawn out his staff protectively and without another word nor movement a blinding light appeared again.

 _"_ _HEY_!" Hermione yelled out as she ran forward the man with her wand at the ready for anything else that could possibly happen.

And before she could do anything else in the world, the moment she neared the spot where he had been, the light had slowly faded and once it was all completely gone so was the man who had been manipulating an advance sort of magic without any wand at all.


	5. Chapter 5

**_III_**

 ** _The Incident_**

 _"_ _That was still stupid."_ Harry told Hermione as he handed her a cup of hot chocolate. "I don't know which part of that was the most stupid from it all."

"Why don't you just tell me that _I am_ the one you're pointing out to be stupid?" Hermione snapped at him lowering the mug and crossing her arms over her chest.

Harry shook his head in disgust.

"Yeah." Harry muttered going back to his own mug of coffee. "Maybe I should."

She opened her mouth to argue but no words came out because she knew that Harry had a point and at this very moment, he was also very angry with her.

It took her half an hour to get enough people at the Ministry to find out exactly what has happened.

And roughly a few hours later, nothing was found out.

Things inside the building were in order and working and nothing was missing.

She sighed, scratching her forehead and trying to explain it all to her bestfriend.

"Harry, I'm a Ministry worker." Hermione explained as she took the cup of hot chocolate and took a sip from it. "It's my job to-"

"Correction." Harry interrupted her as he eyed her closely. "It is an Auror's job. You're _not_ an Auror."

Hermione blinked, insulted beyond her wits despite that Harry was telling her the truth for her sake and not to mock her.

She looked angrily back at him but she didn't say anything as he sat opposite her with his Auror badge gleaming before his full uniform.

He was glaring back at her with such fierceness in his eyes that Hermione could tell that he was really angry with her.

She buried her face in her hands and heavily sighed back at her.

"Harry-"

"No, Hermione." Harry said folding his arms. "Do you know how dangerous that was? I know you have a wand and you're feeling _pretty adventurous_ –

"I wasn't feeling-"

"I'm sorry but I bloody don't care at this very moment how you were feeling back then. It was the middle of the night, Hermione – and you were alone – and outside the premises and protections of the spells of the Ministry-"

"Harry, I think I can fend and defend myself, thanks." Hermione spat back at her putting the hot chocolate back down on the table and glaring back at him.

He shook his head and buried his face in his hands in frustration.

"This isn't some Spew-"

 _"_ _S.P.E.W-"_ she corrected through gritted teeth. "And I didn't say-"

"My point is – this isn't some Dumbledore's Army adventure that you can-"

"Now you're calling it that after we've all benefited from it – back then it was a way good idea for you and now-"

"That's not my point!" Harry angrily interrupted her as he stood up, halfway into losing it.

Hermione stared right back up at him, speechless.

 _"_ _You were alone."_ Harry emphasized the word. "Alone, Hermione and you just went wanting to go against this – this man – this man with powers you can't even describe what exactly-"

"I just told you he doesn't have a wand – he could be doing wandless-"

"Exactly my point. We don't know what kind of magic he was – you're the one who described that he's using some sort of magic that-"

"Why are you getting mad at me?!" Hermione suddenly said. "I called you – I called and woke the whole Auror Department and you're here and you're going to solve it all-"

"My point is that it was dangerous – and this isn't any game or-"

"I went Horcrux hunting with you for months and I helped you defeat –"

"MY POINT HERMIONE IS THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS AND YOU WERE FUCKING ALONE!" Harry angrily screamed back at her, eyes wide and face red.

He stopped.

He stared back at her shock features staring right back at him.

He was always patient and kind to her ever since they were children.

He barely ever lost it with her.

And whenever he did – which was an unlikely and an ever rare occasion – it only meant that it was that bad enough already.

"I'm sorry." Harry said quickly looking away from her and pulling his messy hair in frustration. "I only want.. I'm trying to explain to you-"

"You don't need to yell at me." Hermione said standing up and folding her arms in front of her. "There are ways to talk Mr. _Harry Potter_ and certainly yelling-"

"Hermione, you're still not-"

But Harry stopped.

A couple more of Auror knocked and entered his small office.

It was an hour to go before the building becomes filled with employees for the new day and they were trying to wrap and solve half of what has happened before wrong information spread around.

They greeted Harry and Hermione as they entered and laid out a couple of parchments over the table that Harry had to look over.

"Nothing is absolutely missing, Mr. Potter." the young Auror reported to Harry. "And everything is working and in order. We would still check again in the morning once more staff arrives but to be honest, we've already done two rounds on checking if an Dark Magic had been filled around the place and everything is absolutely clean."

Harry nodded and took a closer look around the parchments with the mapping area of the whole building.

"Nothing wrong with doors and other pathways of getting in and out of the building?" he asked. "He could have been here to pick locks of sorts through use of magic to regain entry the next time he pays a very late visit."

"Nothing." the Auror replied. "Every door and window of every floor – remained as they were – intact with the locking enchantments that are automated one the clock magically strikes at the closing of the hours."

Harry sighed heavily staring at every piece and bit of report.

Nothing was missing.

Nothing was damaged.

Nothing was touched or changed in any way.

 _Nothing._

Then what the fuck did the man want?

"How about the premises?" Harry said looking at the people around him. "Hermione said that she saw him closer and near the building already. There should be some sort of breach of magical protection that only people who are employed can cross that breach any time-"

"No breach was crossed, Mr. Potter." an older looking Auror replied taking a piece of parchment from the table and pointing certain locations at Harry.

"No breach?"

"All entrances, exits and the perimeter at closest and farthest distances with magical protection to evade any non-employee and intruder has not been breached in any way. Everything is intact, untouched and unchanged. They are as they were when the office hours closed down."

Harry looked up at him with slight alarm over his face.

Something wasn't right.

He looked back at Hermione who looked horrified at the prospect of it.

"I saw him." Hermione said in a determined and firm voice. "I know what I saw."

They were staring quietly back at her and Harry could already tell what the others were thinking.

"Alright, alright.." Harry said. "We have roughly two hours to get back to our homes and took a bit more of rest before the long day. I'll meet everyone back at one this afternoon to talk about this incident. This will be taken into the book as a report."

The Aurors agreed and soon, they left one by one and had left Harry and Hermione.

Hermione was quiet the whole time she watched Harry pack his things bag as he prepared to leave with her.

"I'll bring you home." Harry said slinging his bag and not meeting her eyes. "You take the day off. I'll notify your department."

"I don't need rest." Hermione said standing up. "I know what I saw."

"And later, we will try to figure out why nobody seem to see any trace of existence of what you saw."

Hermione stared at Harry's back as he walk to the door, still no meeting his eyes.

"Harry, look.."

"I'm tired." Harry said walking to the door. "We can talk about this later."

Hermione's eyes turned into slit.

"Fine." she angrily snapped at him walking past him by the door.

"Hermione please." Harry said as she stopped right in front of him, lips pursing.

"I saw what I saw." Hermione said in a hard tone. "I'm not tired and I'm definitely not dreaming."

"I didn't say-"

"I'm not lying to you!" Hermione spat at him. "You know I'd never lie to you and I know you don't believe."

"No, that's not-"

"I can bring myself home, thanks."

And with that, she turned from him and made her way out of the door, loudly snapping the door right at his face.

 _She had magic._

She had magic and a powerful one that he was sure of.

And her eyes, she was familiar.

Even in the darkness of the night, he could clearly see and could tell that she's seen him.

He blinked away thoughts of her and looked around at the vast room before him.

Staying at the place for days and weeks now had made him adjust better in this world he wasn't used to.

In a corner, an array of books he has bought and a couple of newspapers that he has accumulated by now lay.

The good thing about being in the world for which he doesn't know about was the money he was able to accumulate without much of a problem.

The premises he also managed to take was filled with such protective magic apt in that world that he no longer needed to adjust his own kind of magic into the place.

But ofcourse, it wasn't like it was a problem – his magic, the power of the gods – was meant to overrule and override all other kinds.

Especially that of the mortal world, Midgard.

It intrigued him, to see that girl.

She was fearless and he could feel her strong magic, prepared to defy and attack him if he didn't manage to get his head back together just in time.

Her face showed expression of shock but she also looked like she was used into the war of the world to attack and defend her known territory even without any planned out strategy and company with her.

He smirked unable to stop himself.

It was interesting.

She had picked his brain.

"Guess my next trip would have to be a morning then." he whispered, smiling to himself as he took his staff with him and went back into bed knowing that the day later was going to be very, very interesting indeed.

Hermione was already running very late the following morning because of what has happened several hours ago.

She went back into her apartment unable to sleep but had fallen into one and had woken up an hour later than she was supposed do.

She was rushing to get herself ready when an owl swooped into her place.

It was a memo from the Ministry of Magic that she was given a day off as a family emergency and wouldn't be accounted for in her days of taking a leave.

"Mother of.." Hermione muttered rolling her eyes and crumpling the paper aside.

Her hair was dripping and a towel was wrapped around her body and her skirt was already halfway up her waist.

"Are you kidding me Harry?" she said out loud as if Harry was there to hear her.

If a memo like what she has received was given over, it would only mean that she was recorded not to appear at the premises within the day – and if she does so and something unwanted happens even if it was unlikely – she would definitely be questioned with the discrepancy of attendance recorded.

She slumped back onto her bed.

She wasn't sure how to talk or get to Harry but at the moment, she was sure that he was still feeling slightly off towards her.

He wouldn't have done this if he wasn't.

He was making her, forcing her to rest for the day because he obviously believes that she was overworked and that she needed rest.

Which also obviously states that he didn't believe her report of the previous night's incident.

Hermione closed her eyes and felt herself going red in anger that she tried to control within.

She sighed heavily trying to think of how to spend the day instead for there was obviously no going to the Ministry of Magic for the day.

Hermione quietly sat with some books and a large cup of coffee before her table.

She was staring longingly back at the large Ministry of Magic building right across from where the café was.

She had sent an owl to Harry telling him to meet her right up there on his lunch break.

She badly wanted to talk to him first before he hold the Auror meeting in regards of what has happened earlier.

She wanted to explain her side and emphasize to him that she had seen him seemingly reading some sort of blueprint of the building itself.

"I'm sorry. Do you mind if I take this seat?" asked a voice that interrupted her thoughts.

Hermione blinked and looked towards the table the other customer was asking about.

It was the small table and seat corner just near her that would slightly occupy her personal space.

"No." Hermione answered him shaking her head up. "It's fine. You may take it."

"Thank you." answered the gentleman.

Hermione's brain seemed to worked better and she realized she knew that voice.

She quickly looked up and saw the same man the other day at the café placing his things over the table corner next to her.

He was wearing an all black suit – no, not robes – a pair of suit.

Her eyebrows quirked.

"Are you a Muggle-Born as well?" she asked him unable to stop herself.

She watched as he halted from taking out three more books from a large bag and paused to look back at her.

He gave her a slightly questioning stare.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said quickly drawing the idea out of her head. "I just thought – you are wearing – no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

 _"I'm not."_

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm not what you said I am." the man answered with a short smile settling over the chair.

Hermione stared back at him – long black hair, black attire, pale faced – she almost smirked as he reminded her a lot of professor Severus Snape.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said again, shaking her head and trying to get back to her own business. "I was-"

"Sir, here is your order." a waitress came over and Hermione watched her serve him the largest mug of black coffee.

Hermione noticed how the waitress was seemingly taking all the time in the world for her to set up the complete order over his table.

She was obviously trying to gain his attention from which he doesn't seem very keen about.

He kept his face and eyes over a book in his hand that Hermione couldn't read the title of.

"Enigma of the Universe." his voice suddenly came up as he lifted another page of the book.

Hermione looked away, blushing furiously.

"Sorry?" she asked knowing exactly why.

"The title of the book." he replied as he closed it and handed it over towards her.

Hermione stared back at him with a slightly open mouth.

"Can you read minds?" she asked him seriously.

He looked back at her as if considering her and the answer he would give her.

He finally shook his head.

"No, I can't." he answered in a clear accent that told Hermione that he was Scottish decent of some sort. "But you were staring and craning your neck enough to tell me that you are curious."

He stretched his hand a little more towards her to offer the book.

Hermione wasn't sure if she should feel glad or insulted.

"Thanks." Hermione said slowly reaching for it to read the title and the back cover.

It was a book about the stars, the galaxy – like some sort of advance Astronomy book.

"You like reading books." he said reaching for his coffee to take a sip all the while keeping his eyes on her.

"Like is an understatement." Hermione replied handing the book back and staring over the pile of books over his table. "I take that you love reading yourself."

He smiled and stared back at the pile of books she was staring over.

"My father owns a very large library back in our place." he replied with a comical look over his handsome face as he accepted the book back from her. "Probably the largest in the city. And growing up, I used to spend a lot of time there."

"To read?" Hermione said with a touch of envy in her voice as she sat back over her chair and stared at his handsome features. "How lucky you are."

"To read." he replied staring back at her again from his coffee. "While my brother is training. To read while my brother is having a tantrum about a duel he says he's been cheated from. To read while my father teaches him about the family…business. To read while my brother is making trouble with his friends. To read.." he paused staring right back into her eyes. "..while my brother is wasting his life away."

Hermione shook his head and was almost lost somewhere in what he had just told her.

"I would take a guess and supposed that you are the good brother then." Hermione smiled back at him with a blush at the side of her cheeks.

He stared right back at her with an awe in his face and his smile formed in such a way like he has never seen anyone like her before.

He shook his head at her with a smirk over his face as he offered his hand to her.

"May I ask this lady's name?" he slowly asked her without taking his eyes off from her. "This lady who has enough love for books to stay at this café almost everyday."

Hermione took his hand as he closed his around hers.

It was all he needed – the slightest bit of connection of their skins to know everything that he wanted and needed to know about her.

Their connection was briefly made but it was good enough for him to pass though her senses and straight up towards her mind to gain enough access.

But it was also at this precise moment did she realize what he had just said.

"What did you-"

 _"_ _HERMIONE!"_ a voice called right a few feet from them.

Hermione quickly let his hand go as they both turned their heads.

Harry was walking forward their table with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

She stared right up at him as she stood up to greet him.

"Harry." Hermione said eyes diverting for a moment to the man next to her.

His eyes were locked over at Harry's who was unblking as he stared right back at him.

Harry gave Hermione a look and slowly reached over for her purse and book over the table.

"Come. We need to talk." Harry simply said gently taking her by the wrist.

"Oh wait, we can talk-"

"We need to talk privately." Harry said emphasizing the word as he nodded at the man next to her.

"But-"

Harry looked back at her and she was silenced.

"Ministry business." Harry said tugging over her wrist. "Interested?" he asked her.

Ofcourse she was interested.

Without another glance back, she turned to Harry and let her be dragged out of the small café leaving the man behind.

He kept his hand around hers until they were exactly at the front double doors of the Ministry's main entrance.

"Are you including me at your meeting?" she asked with a raised brow.

"No." Harry shortly replied to her. "Who's that man?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Who's that man?"

"Why do you –"

"I don't like him." Harry simply said. "He doesn't look trustworthy."

Hermione's mouth fell open.

"And I supposed you would know all about trust?" Hermione asked folding her arms and tapping her food.

Harry looked back at her.

"I trust you." Harry said. "And you know I believe in you and what you've said."

"Then why do I feel like they've been staring at me a few hours ago like I'm some lunatic because you couldn't defend me?"

"I didn't have to defend you." Harry said. "There was nothing there that needed that. I already ordered a report on it and it's nicely booked upstairs and besides, with how you acted earlier, I don't think I needed to defend you."

Hermione's face turned red.

"If you're just going to insult me-"

"Hermione, please." Harry said pulling her suddenly to him and kissing her forehead.

Hermione squirmed at his touch and arms but she didn't say anything right at him.

"I don't want us to fight." Harry said. "I just need details from you. Everything you've seen – downright to the smallest."

Hermione looked up at him biting her lower lip.

"Please?" he asked her with gentle eyes this time.

"You believe in me?" Hermione asked him with a determined look over her face.

"Ofcourse I do." Harry said. "I always do."

He stared back at her, waiting clearly for all the information.

"Fine." Hermione said and she began a banter of all the things she had seen a few hours ago.

"Harry, you might want to take a look at this." said a female Auror who greeted him as he entered a few minutes later the conference room.

It was quarter to one already and the meeting was about to begin.

He walked to the table and adjusted his glasses to take a closer look over a few photographs.

They were photographs of stars and planets alike.

"Planets?" he asked looking around the room that was beginning to be filled with the other Aurors. "Stars?"

"I thought it may interest you." Aurora explained to him handing him back a cup of coffee.

"We're meeting up about what happened last night here." Harry said as he gestured for people to sit down as they filled in. "This isn't Astronomy class."

"I know." she said with certain determination in her voice. "But there is something peculiar about the alignment of the planets here."

Harry stared at her and at the photographs and planets and stars she was pointing over.

His eyes narrowed and he felt like his brains had lagged completely.

It all looked the same to him.

How he wished he paid more attention to his Astronomy class way back at Hogwarts days.

"Er-" he began not really knowing what to say. "What about them?"

"They've been having a pattern.. a different one that what they used to or supposed to be-"

"Varied alignment?"

"Peculiar alignment." said the voice.

They all looked up.

The Ministry of Magic himself entered with two more wizards behind him.

He walked forward and opened up a very large map of the entire universe over the table.

He whipped his wand and the map came to life opening up the drawings over the chart into a 3D like figures that were gleaming realistically over the table.

Harry's eyes widened in interested and shock.

"Mr. Potter." the Ministry greeted him walking closer. "Your team is needed for this."

"What does this have to do with the case this morning?" he asked.

"I – together with the Wizengamot – strongly believe that a magical breached has been crossed."

"Crossed?" Harry repeated unsure of what he has sure. "Magical breach? Hold on, how many- do you mean someone from another place visited us?"

"From another realm, we believe." Aurora said nodding in agreement.

Harry watched her point to a couple of stars aligned together like a trail towards their planet from another space over the magical universe floating before him.

"And?" Harry asked still slightly confused.

"We believe the magical breach has been crossed by the disarranged alignment of the stars and planets – it's been moving – very discreetly that it was impossible to trace that it was actually moving at all."

"And this has something to do with the case because-"

"Because we believe that the man that Miss Granger reported to have seen has something to do with it." the Minister answered him.

"Why him?" Harry asked. "It could all be a coincidence."

"It could be." Aurora answered with a quick nod. "But you see, Miss Grange reported seeing him around the time or hour at the very same time that – about half an hour earlier – about a vast activity that happened between the alignment of the stars and breaches."

Harry felt like his brains were going to explode.

"Vast activity?"

"Magical surge." Aurora explained to him with another nod. "His appearance has made an impact, a bigger dislodged into the alignment. It is too much of a coincidence. Making it possible that he was the reason – that he was the one who actually _crossed_ it."

Hermione was walking down the sidewalk, eyes completely on the ground but head completely up in the sky again.

She couldn't shake away the idea of what has happened.

It has been bothering her since the morning light.

Maybe Harry was right – she needed rest.

Hermione sighed heavily as she shook her head, missing her bed and thinking about it as she crossed the street.

Despite that he believed her and now they were going to be meeting about the whole incident with her detailed accounts, Hermione felt that something bigger was yet about to come their way.

Something unexpected and something that would crashed right up at their faces.

There was a loud sound of something breaking.

Hermione halted right on the spot.

"LOOK OUT!" yelled an extremely loud and strong voice.

Hermione looked up and saw that she had just reached the perimeter and side of Gringotts that was still being renovated and reconstructed.

An extremely massive block of stone that had cracked from a gargoyle statue up ahead was making its way straight down at her.

Hermione's mind had completely lagged off the course that she didn't have the intuition to pull out her wand or move away from the falling stone.

Her eyes closed in reflex of fear.

"MOVE!" yelled the voice again and then without a warning, she felt very sharp and heavy pain – but not from above her.

The collision's impact was so vast she yelled in pain the moment it met her body.

She felt a pair of strong arms around her and bodily impact that pushed her at the side.

Glasses were shattered as they were pelted over the side at the direction she was pushed into.

Hermione's head swirled in so much pain at hitting herself straight as they both crashed forward a glass door before the second pain of hitting stone cold floor.

She heard the massive block landing, crashing against the floor a few feet from them.

Her breathing was hard and heavy and she felt cut at the side of her lip from the blood she's tasted.

The sounds of crashes, yells of people and sound of labored breathing took a while to make sense inside her head and for it all to slowly fade and diminish.

"Are you alright?" asked a closer voice as she felt her painful body slowly being turned over. "Are you alright?"

Hermione opened her mouth but no words came out.

She felt extremely dizzy and she felt her head was splitting in two out of shock and the crash.

"Are you alright?" asked the voice again.

A blurry image of someone was sitting before her, face floating and slowly moving into nothingness.

Hermione fought and tried to keep her senses open.

She could merely see the gleam of bluish-green eyes staring back down at her.

She tried to reach for the person who quickly grabbed and held her hand firmly into his.

"You'll be fine." the familiar voice had said. "I'll take care of you. Come with me."

"No." Hermione protested. "Harry.."

Before she passed out, she could swear that she saw blue light flashing before her eyes, hovering over before she passed out in complete darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapt IV**_

 ** _The Nine Realms_**

 _"The stars and the universe will belong to you."_

 _"To me?" she asked him as they stared at the overlooking view of the galaxy. "This?"_

 _"All of it." he whispered back at her with his dark eyes moving to her and breath-taking smile. "All of Midgard at your feet, the nine realms and everything else beyond it."_

 _She looked back at him._

 _Her heart was beating fast – not for the universes that were being offered at her feet, but of his enigmatic smile._

 _He was just as beautiful as he was broken in the inside._

 _The next time she looked back at him, he had moved very close with both his hands placed gently around her waist._

 _As uncomfortable as she would have become, she wasn't._

 _She looked back at him, mesmerized by his beautiful eyes and enticed by his dark voice._

 _"For eternity, we shall rule all of it." he whispered as he lifted his long fingers and made a trail at the side of her face._

 _She quickly melted in his touch, closing her eyes and sighing heavily at the effect he had upon her._

 _No, it wasn't magic._

 _It was him and him alone, completely enticing every bit of her._

 _"Rule the world?"_

 _"Rule all the worlds." he corrected her with such sweet lace in his tone. "With you as the queen by my side."_

 _Her eyes shot open._

 _"Queen?" she asked him with a look over his expectant face._

 _"Yes." he answered her with a determined look over his face as if it had been decided upon._

 _"That would mean that-" but she stopped as he leaned very closely and moved his face closer to her ear._

 _"My lovely Midgardian queen you would be."_

 _And then his lips had brushed and touched the point at the side of her face just right in between the point for which the ear and the cheek met._

 _She closed her eyes, breathing heavily as he remained his lips over where it was and kept his face closer to her._

 _Her mind fought to find ways to distract him or rather distract herself from completely falling apart._

 _She was fighting to keep her eyes open at the feel of his sensual touches against the side of her arms._

 _"Where – where is Midgard?" she breathlessly asked as she felt his arms closed in around her waist and he had gently pressed his warm and armored body against hers._

 _She felt his lips move and turn into a smile right over her skin and heard him sigh in delight._

 _"But ofcourse, your world." he answered her moving his lips closer to her ear and pressing a soft and agonizingly sweet kiss. "And we begin at London."_

 _"London?"_

 _Her eyes shot open._

 _He was very close to her now with his body pressed against hers, arms locking her into place and smile as mischievous and handsome as he was._

 _She moved away from him._

 _Something wasn't right._

 _"But what's wrong?" he asked as he followed her to face the view before them._

 _She stood by the terrace, fingers together as she fidgeted nervously._

 _He stood right behind her and pressed his body against her again._

 _She inhaled at the feel of his strong physique in close contact with hers._

 _He placed his hands on either side of the terrace, locking her perfectly into place so she couldn't move away from him._

 _"Ofcourse we begin at London." he whispered into her ear as he moved his fingers to move her tresses along her left shoulder._

 _"Oh god.." she whispered, biting her lower lip, closing her eyes uncontrollably trembling at the touch of his damp lips placing soft kisses over her shoulder and slowly up to her neckline._

 _"Ofcourse.. we.. begin… at London.." he whispered in between the gaps of the small kisses. "And.. I will.. make sure.. London…will…fall."_

 _And then he grabbed her to face him for a kiss._

 _Their eyes met and her eyes were wide in shock upon seeing very closely the pair of his bluish-greenish eyes._

 _He leaned his face forward her to kiss her._

And then she _woke_ up.

It took Hermione a few moments before getting atleast a bit of her brain back together to comprehend that she had been dreaming.

She groaned and turned over to her side and buried her face beneath the soft pillows and the comforting thick blankets.

She felt so warmed up and the smell of her surroundings was a complete bliss.

Her brown eyes narrowed then.

She inhaled very deeply and exhaled.

That wasn't right.

Her pillow and bed didn't smell like her own.

Nor did it smell like Harry's.

Her brown eyes opened up and she looked slowly and cautiously around her while her hands slowly felt the bed around her.

The pillows she had been on were way bigger and thicker and softer than that of her own.

The blanket was also thick and plain and no feel of anything itchy or sewn parts of it.

Her eyes were wide now as both her hands now moved over the whole bed checking its form.

She could touch the bed's edge and that already told her that this bed might be so massive that it was obviously not the size of her bed.

Hermione quickly sat up and looked around her.

She was laid over a very large kind size bed with four posts, all the beddings were in elegant clothing of expensive silk and type in full black and the floor was fully carpeted with black and a bit of gold lining.

She was in a room large enough to be a conference hall with a ceiling that could match a classroom at Beauxbatons that she's read from books but with certain elegance and taste that she could only compare to the grandiose of the Malfoy Manor before.

 _Where the hell was she?_

"Still no word from her?" Kingsley asked Harry as he entered the Auror Department's main office.

Harry shook his head and took another sip from the third mug of coffee.

"You should rest." Kingsley said. "You should take some sleep."

"I can't." Harry said. "Last time I talked to Hermione we weren't in good shape so I'm really worried about her."

"It hasn't been more than 24 hours, Harry. She might just want some time alone."

"I hope so." Harry replied. "She wasn't in her apartment and she didn't drop by at mine. No note. I'm really worried."

Harry lowered his mug and then turned over the large maps over the table.

They had been studying the activity of the stars since yesterday.

Despite his personal opinion that it was ridiculous, he didn't have a choice because there were certain things that only the 'stars and universe' could somehow answer at the moment.

He didn't like his Astronomy class and this particular investigation reminded him a lot of professor Trelawney's divine belief on the fate of the people into the heavens, stars and moon.

He could only laugh at it – if only Hermione wasn't the one involved on the subject.

And now, she was missing.

There was an abrupt knock over the door and another Auror opened it up for them.

They looked and stared at the female Auror in Training, Aurora.

She was staring at them with a slightly reluctant look over her face as she carried a thick black book in her hands.

"Yes?" Harry asked staring at her with hope knowing she was the one who had been studying this case seriously.

"I was wondering Minister, Mr. Potter, if this would help?" she asked quickly entering and placing the book over the table.

Harry looked down at it and gave her a questioning glare and the Minister himself looked slightly amused at the sight of it.

"I know this looks.. " she began not really knowing what to say as Harry began flipping the pages about the universe, realms and gods.

"What year did you graduate?" Harry asked her. "No offense."

She instead smiled happily and proudly up at her.

"I'm a few years behind you, Mr. Potter." she said with a smile. "But Beauxbatons. We studied a lot about the stars and the skies and-"

"You didn't have just Astronomy and Divination?" he asked her.

"No." she excitedly replied. "We had studied them in another three divided types of subjects and then we had a class about gods and realms and about-"

"Yes, alright. Thankyou." Harry interrupted flipping more pages and slightly irritated.

At the moment, he was so damned worried about Hermione that he could only care less about the stars and the gods.

He wanted to know and find out if Hermione was out there and safe.

"So how does this help again?" he slowly asked her.

Aurora was fixed out of her state of awe at working alongside the famous Harry Potter that it made her brains lagged from time to time upon seeing him.

"Yes, sorry." she said walking forward and taking the book away from him.

She flipped the pages one after the other and quickly went right at the very middle of it and opened to a chapter that read "The Nine Realms"

"Nine Realms?" Harry asked, perplexed. "Realms?"

"They are worlds – universes – as we would call it, Harry." Kingsley explained to him. "It has been a common and old belief that there is more than one universe and world from which we live in."

"There are others?"

"Many others." Aurora excitedly explained to him. "According to our previous readings and research, it's possible that the one who has crossed and breached to our world may have come from these other realms-"

"I'm sorry, Aurora." Harry said turning to her. "I know you haven't slept either and I can see that you really love your work and your enthusiasm is very much appreciated, but right now, there are nine or more realms we need to look for Hermione or whoever crossed that pathway-"

"No, no, Mr. Potter, we're only going to look at the nine as we are closest-"

"I appreciate your positivity." Harry said raising a hand to stop her from speaking. "Your optimism is really – I have gratitude for it, for you – but please, Nine Realms? Do you honestly think we have time right now to look for answers from Nine-"

"No, not nine." Aurora said excitedly opening a parchment from her pocket and laying it over the table. "Only four."

"Four?" Kingsley said taking a closer look over the parchment.

There were words written on them and at the back of the page were small map outlines.

"Only four of the realms may produce humanistic forms – the one that Miss Granger precisely described." Aurora said pointing over the list. "We have Nifilheim – who produces unknown type of beings so they could possibly morph into something else-" she then pointed onto the next ones as Harry walked behind her to read.

Aurora excitedly pointed over the maps and the names of the realms.

"And then we have Hel here – "

"Hell?" Harry interrupted. "Isn't that-"

"No, not that one but yes, that's how it's spelled from the book that says that all souls of all the beings that died from all these realms have gone so there are chances we can check human like forms from there-"

"Alfeim?"

"Alfeim a sister of the planet Asgaard that is strongly believed to be the realm that has human forms because they are universes that were believed to be the ones where the gods had come from-"

"Gods?" Harry asked taking the map and reading through it. "Gods with power? Like the ones we have assignment at Hogwarts?"

"But yes." Aurora answered as if this was the most exciting time of her life. "We have Mythology back at Beauxbatons-"

Harry sighed and returned the parchment to her.

Not that he didn't believe her.

But it all just sounded like a fantasy the more he delved into it.

He looked up at the Minister himself who looked back at him with the same expression.

"Alright." Harry said. "How about I give you a partner from the department and work on your research and I'll work on my way of research. I'll give you two?"

The smile from her face slightly faded but she nodded nevertheless.

She looked like she really wanted to talk and work with the Harry Potter.

"Yes, ofcourse." she excitedly answered. "Is this a new assignment for me?" she asked them.

Harry looked up at the Minister who shook his head, telling him it was his call.

Harry looked back at her – she reminded him of Luna Lovegood – a lot.

"Yes." he nodded. "I'll make a memo that this research is an official assignment of a team that is –"

"Yes, yes! Thank you! Oh thank you, Mr. Potter!" Aurora excitedly said grabbing her book from the table. "I won't disappoint you, I promise! I promise you, Mr. Potter!"

And then without another word, she ran out of the main office to go back to her very small office that she only received because of Harry's kindness a few months back.

The door closed and Harry looked back at Kingsley.

"Why did we hire her again?" Kingsley asked him.

Harry pulled over his messy black hair and removed his glasses before burying his face in his hands.

"Because her great-grandfather served in the goblin rebellion." Harry explained with a heavy sigh. "And because she was very pleasant at her first interview."

"Oh. Right." the Minster headed for the door. "In 24 hours if there is still no word from Miss Granger, let's have an official search team. Wait for it Harry or send a Patronus to locate her. She's an intelligent woman. I don't think she'll really just let leave you without a word until something bad has really happened to her. You have a few more hours."

And with that, he left Harry as miserable and worried as ever in his own thoughts.

Hermione looked down over herself and slightly disturbed at the thought that she was changed into a black silk nighties as well.

Why was everything black?

Had someone just died or something?

She groaned trying to shake away the blurry images in her head from her dream that was now fading from her mind and could barely recall.

Hermione grabbed the hems of the blanket and placed it around herself suddenly feeling the coldness in the room.

She got off the bed barefoot and looked around her.

A chandelier hung at the very high ceiling and the windows were drawn over by black velvet heavy curtains.

A massive and extensive fireplace with a burning hearth was situated at the other end of the room and next to a large and ancient looking mirror.

Everything around her was so vast, expensive-looking and elegant.

What had just happened?

But before she could completely comprehend what might have happened to her the booming sound of the double doors suddenly opened.

She whirled around as about half a dozen of women with their hairs elegantly turned up in a tall bun and were wearing the same kind of Grecian looking uniform entered carrying various of things in their hands.

The first one entered and went straight to the window to slightly open the curtains, the second went for the fireplace to refill the wood inside it, the next two were carrying a set of bathrobes and essentials, the next one walked more carefully as she was carrying a long dress in her hands, the next one was carrying a large food tray while the last one was carrying a note for her and had quickly walked to her side.

"Goodmorning my lady." she greeted, ignoring Hermione's state of shock and distraught as she watched each women work over each station in the large room.

"My lady?" she asked turning her head so fast that she felt her neck slightly hurt.

Her eyes roamed around the room as the women in Grecian dresses and shimmering golden bangles worked their way around the room completing the preparation of a morning for her.

The older woman handed her a note with a golden seal.

"After breakfast, he would await for you in your study."

"Me?" she asked reading the note that said exactly the same thing but with a time instead over it. "And what time is it?"

The woman smiled at her with a nod and a bow.

She looked over around the room and snapped her fingers just at the exact moment that everyone had finished their tasks for the room and had stood up straight after the finishing touches of whatever they were asked to do there.

"Two of them will come back for you in an hour after you've finished your breakfast my lady to help you bathe and then help you get ready before you meet with the master.-"

"Help me bath?" she asked looking perplexed at the thoughts of it. "I'm sorry can you just – wait, what did you say?"

But each of the women had started bowing at her and slowly turned away and walked out in the same elegant, disciplined and line up manner the way they entered.

Hermione felt weird at how organized and synchronized in manner everyone was.

And then funnily enough, she felt her stomach crumble.

She turned and remembered the breakfast tray left for her.

Usually, she would not have eaten on anything served for her for which she didn't know where it came from.

But at that very moment, she didn't only feel hungry but the served tray was more than appetizing than she can handle.

She sat over the white and gold lined chair and stared over the breakfast tray – or buffet.

Two large pots with what she could smell as coffee and tea were served at the edge of the table; a very tall glass of juice was also aligned next to it and then the food itself.

A large platter of freshly sliced fruits were laid at the side of the tray, a cup size of what smelled like freshly made cheese with blueberries perched on top of waffles, a platter laid with beaten eggs, toasts and bacon and sausages over the side.

A basket of muffins were arrayed at the side and a second platter of roasted ham and chicken were laid as well.

The smell of the whole tray wafted through her nostrils and screamed all the way to her brains that she needed to sit down and start eating already.

She wasn't sure if it was a breakfast tray or a lunch tray but she was quite sure now that it was some sort of buffet.

Hermione glanced back over the note in her hand, battling to wander off and find out exactly where she was or sit down and eat and do that bit later on.

Her stomach grumbled again.

It was a battle easily lost.

Hermione quickly took a seat and sat down over the chair as her eyes roamed all over the buffet before her, inhaling all the scent of the good food.

"I am terribly hungry." Hermione said letting her logic and reason fly out of the window to forget how dangerous this small act this may seem.

She didn't even know where she was.

And wherever she was, she couldn't care any less at the moment.

The moment the food touched her lips, it tasted so good.

It tasted like it was prepared by the gods.

She was halfway into munching a few more sausages, bacon and a mouthful of blueberry muffin from the small basket that she recalled to pick up the note again.

It says there that she would be met after breakfast and bathe at the library.

That was interesting, wherever she must be quite big because there as a library to be met in.

Hermione stared back over her food and tried on the other servings of the breakfast tray, still trying to think of what exactly has happened the previous night and why she could barely remember.

Hermione reached over for a slice of ham and a bite of a small roasted chicken drumstick when she remembered that she wasn't wearing the set of clothes she suddenly remembered that she had been wearing.

She quickly put down the food from her hands and wiping her hands over the large napkin, she stood up and looked wildly around the room for her things – her bag, her traveling cloak and such. But they were all nowhere in sight.

Where were her things exactly?

Hermione turned around and walked to the side where the supposedly ladies in waiting placed her new clothes.

There was a large towel, a bathrobe and a nice black dress all laid nicely and elegantly.

"What in the world.." Hermione whispered staring over a small tray that held atleast seven types of glass bottles with different scents and liquid colours.

She narrowed her eyes.

Where the hell was she?

Turning, she moved towards the windows with the heavily drawn curtains and the moment she pulled it aside, she saw nothing but a vast garden – a backyard view that told her nothing about her exactly location.

Looking up at the sky told her that if she did pass out, it might have been several hours.

The dread started coming into her as she recalled nothing over the past few hours.

Hermione suddenly felt dizzy, vulnerable and confused at the same time.

Grabbing the towels, the robe and the dress and a bottle or two from the tray, she quickly made her towards the bathroom that she was pointed to earlier.

And boy, how her expectations of it had been way away of her level.

She felt her jaw drop and her eyes wide as what she entered wasn't a mere bathroom – but a room in size of a large spa with a bathtub large enough to be a small pool, mirrors were everywhere and the sounds of the steaming warm water waiting for her as her eyes roamed the elegant tiles and walls of the high-ceilinged structure.

As soothing, comfortable and alluring the bathroom was, she still didn't know where she was.

And so after a few groans from her painful muscles that basked in the warm water and a small scratch at the side of her arm that seemed to tell her that she had fallen for some reason, she quickly bathed herself and changed into the black dress given to her.

It was a perfect fit as she stared at one of the tall mirrors.

Hermione almost smirked staring at how perfectly the dress embraced her curves and sides.

And before she could admire more of herself, a loud tapping came over the door.

"My lady?" asked a female's voice. "Please open the door to let us in so we can help you bath-"

"Help me bath?" Hermione mouthed, quickly grabbing the towel and robe and folding them away. "What is this? The seventeenth century?"

She quickly walked towards the door and opened it for them.

Atleast four of the earlier ladies were standing, waiting outside her door.

"Er-"

"But you bathe yourself already?" asked the first one from the line.

"Er… yes." Hermione answered reluctantly. "The dress is.. "

"The dress is perfect." a second lady said bowing to her.

If Hermione didn't know any better, she felt like she had travelled back in time and was in a time where ladies were served this way.

Her eyes widened.

Were they some sort of slaves?

"I'm sorry. Can you tell where I am?" Hermione asked quickly walking out of the bathroom and away from them.

She felt completely uncomfortable being surrounded by a hoard of women that reminded her of Dobby as to their way of wanting to serve her.

They looked at one another.

"I'm sorry, my lady." said the eldest. "But we were instructed to lead you to the library once you're done bathing. Nothing more."

Her eyebrows raised.

"So you can't tell where we are?" she asked staring at them with a look over her face.

They all bowed down.

"Riiiiiight..." Hermione said, thinking hard. "I was wondering if any of you have seen my things? I don't recall wearing that." she pointed over the nighty she had woken up to.

"Oh, we've gotten rid of them already, my lady." one of them proudly answered with a bow. "Please sit down as we do need to prepare you."

"Prepare me?"

One of the ladies came forward then, holding out a tray of jewelries this time for her.

Her eyes stared at them and at the tray with a horrified look over her face.

"No thanks." Hermione said moving away from it. "Can you just – just sort of tell me to whom I can speak to?"

"To whom you may speak to?" asked one of them.

"With who – with whoever brought me here-" Hermione said trying to control her anxiety of the situation.

They all just stared at her in worry.

"Please?" Hermione quickly added not wanting to scare or anger any of the beautiful girls.

She didn't know where she was and she didn't want to be executed at the wrong place and time.

They stared back at her and stared at one another.

They looked like they were contemplating whether to grant her immediate request or follow what was asked of them to do.

"Very well, my lady." said the eldest woman. "As you wish. Please follow us."

And one by one, they bowed and separated into lines again.

Two went ahead and then Hermione was gestured to follow them while the rest followed right behind her, all their faces down as if ashamed or that they were forbidden to look up at her or her beauty that wasn't an exaggeration to what they were told they would see.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter V**_

 ** _Mr Laufeyson_**

It took all the possible energy and effort from every part and bit of her body to remain still and keep her eyes and hands from moving around the extremely large library before her.

The double doors had opened for them and the moment this happened, the waft and smell of old and new books lured and grabbed her insides.

Her eyes ran up and down the tall aisles of books and by this alone, she could already tell that the owner of the place wasn't only very rich but a very learned and well-read person.

"Mr. Laufeyson shall be following here soon enough to meet you, my lady." said one of the girls offering her to seat over one of the large armchairs.

But she wanted to badly to sit on a carpeted floor and read a book by the gigantic fireplace.

"Mr. Laufeyson?" she asked to one of the servants. "Who is he?"

The servants smiled and bowed at her.

"He owns the place." said one of them. "He lives here."

"He's the one who saved your life." answered another.

Her eyes shot up at her.

She has forgotten completely what has happened and just couldn't wait to meet this man who could possibly tell her where she was and what has happened really.

"He is just tending over something but has asked us to bring you here for you to wait for him."

"Oh, I see." Hermione said trying to keep her eyes from gawking at the shelves around her.

She could already guess and tell how knowledgeable he could be by the books he owned.

She smiled at the thought of meeting someone as wise as the old headmaster, Dumbledore.

"How old is he?" she asked them. "This Mr. Laufeyson?"

They all only smiled at her and Hermione could swear that before bowing out of the room, they were snickering at her questions.

"Well, that's nice." Hermione said as the double doors closed and she was left alone, standing still at the midst of the high-ceiling library with all the books she could only imagine.

She stood alone for quite some time, foot tapping, fingers fidgeting at the end of her small black dress and eyes roaming all over the place.

She was just dying to grab even just one book but knew that she couldn't.

She didn't know who owned the place and she definitely didn't want to meddle over something she didn't own.

Perhaps once she's met the old man, he would allow her to read even just a book or two – or maybe three – he had bothered to save her life after all.

And then again, she wasn't exactly forbidden to walk around the vast library and observe her surroundings, was she?

Excited as every bit of her body, Hermione slowly turned around and looked curiously around the room.

The carpet and tapestry told her that this man had enough elegance in him to the point of royalty in his taste.

Moving her fingers around the mahogany chairs and a few of the long tables to read on, she could tell that the materials were no just London made but probably custom made and bought from another country or so.

The gigantic drapes that hung were also in elegant velvet finish and the chandelier that hung at the very middle of the room told her that there seemed to be some sort of magic suspending what looked like candles or stars or rather diamonds all over and around it.

Everything around her was as elegant, orderly and one that reminded her of Hogwarts.

He must be a wizard, perhaps?

Hermione's will to not touch anything or rather not take any book from any shelf falters and weakens the more she walked around the room and have a good look of things around her.

She turned and one particular shelf of books caught her attention – Advance Magic of the Nine Realms.

 _Nine Realms?_

She walked forward it and before she knew it, she was already taking the book out from its place and was engulfed through the pages.

She had been too excited, too preoccupied and consumed already that she barely noticed the person standing right next to her, leaning against the bookshelves with arms crossed and dark eyes staring at her in an amused way.

"I take it back that you like books." said the deep voice that startled Hermione making her yelped up. "I take it now that you love books."

Hermione nearly dropped the book but his reflexes was just as fast – he caught her before she tripped over herself and the large book in her hands.

Hermione looked up, finding him holding the book in his right hand and the other, gently holding her arm to keep her balanced and in place.

Their eyes met.

Hermione's brown ones observed and narrowed in recall.

"You..?" she whispered unable to stop herself from gaping.

"Me?" he asked back, straightening up and help her to fully stand as well.

Hermione watched him slowly return the book back into its place with her eyes wide in shock and throat stuck with her words.

"Aren't you-" Hermione began not knowing what to say as she followed him with her gaze. "Are you – we've met before, yes?"

"Met before?" he slowly repeated turning back to her with a knowing smile over his pale face.

"Yes." Hermione said nodding vigorously as she was sure this time around that she's met him and that he's the man at the café.

He looked back at her, observing her and Hermione felt slightly annoyed at his reluctance to admit that they've met, thus making her sound crazy and assuming.

"Yes, we've met." Hermione said and this time her tone was slightly firmer and colder.

She stared back at him, arms folded and staring at his tall physique.

 _"_ _Yes."_ he finally answered after a while. "Yes, my lady, we've met and it is in my honor to meet you again."

Hermione's mouth fell open at the way he smiled at her.

She didn't know why but she wasn't usually the one at loss for words or anything to say towards someone and right now, she doesn't know where her voice was.

He stood tall, in a nice black suit, short hair grazed and messily pushed back.

At closer inspection, he did have green-blue eyes that made her wonder about him as it added a bit more of mystery in his aura.

He had a pale colour about his skin that matched his black hair that really reminded him of a younger Severus Snape for Hermione.

But he was smiling and Snape never smiles.

And his smile was killing her.

"You're – you're Mr. Laufeyson?" she asked giving him a suspicious look as her eyes moved up and down at his figure.

She blushed as he smile back realizing that she had seemingly been eyeing his body closely.

"Please." he said as he advanced towards her and offered his hand to her. " _Call me, Loki."_

Her brown eyes moved to his gentle hand with long fingers.

It looked quite soft to touch despite that his built told her that he looked some warrior of some sort.

"Her-Hermione." she replied taking his hand. "Hermione Granger."

"Ah the name that houses wisdom." Loki warmly said with a smile.

Hermione's mind was no longer working at this point that she didn't catch what he had said.

It took all of Hermione's energy to not close her eyes and sigh as the moment their hands touched, there felt like an electrifying sensation that moved right at the ends of her toes and fingers.

Despite the sensation, his hand was quite warm, gentle and soft.

It felt like nothing short of a caress.

Now she definitely felt stupid.

He was nowhere the ''grandpa" image she had been imagining him to be for the past few minutes in her wonder.

He could be intellectual and young at the same time – how stupid of her to quickly judge and think of him as somewhat at par with Dumbledore or so just because he owned a library that was a match for the headmaster's office.

"Welcome to my abode, Miss Granger." Loki said as he moved forward another step and without taking his eyes off her, he brought her hand into his lips and gently kissed the back of it.

Hermione furiously blushed, eyes locked with his gaze and her throat stuck with the words.

He held her in place at that way for another moment or so until Hermione realized that the moment of introduction should have expired by now.

Hermione came back to her senses and she quickly withdrew her hand from his lips and hand.

She turned away from him, coughing out and trying to look for words to break the consuming silence.

She had been too occupied berating herself that she didn't notice that he had been closely following her that when she turned back to him, he was only a few inches away from her, body half leaning against the bookshelf and was staring at her with eyes that were seemingly undressing her already.

"I –" Hermione began not really knowing what to tell his smiling face at her. "I was – well, I am actually-"

"Did you like it?" he asked her suddenly, closing the gap between them and standing tall before her.

"Like – like –" Hermione stuttered not really knowing where to move from him because he had placed his long arm over her head and his body was leaned slightly so that it felt like he was blocking her from moving away at all.

"Like this place?" he asked eyes moving slowly around before returning to her. "The library?"

Hermione's brains seemed to lag by the fact that they were so close.

Or perhaps, her brains were only lagging because she couldn't concentrate and focus again because he was too handsome and too distracting.

He said his name was Loki Laufeyson and if by any chance he was a god, Hermione thought that it wasn't impossible.

"Oh.. yes.. yes.. the library.. books.. and all.." Hermione stuttered again trying to keep her cool.

"Yes." he said eyes slowly narrowing at her with a gleeful smile from his lips. "Books. Library."

And before Hermione could faint by their proximity as her ovaries that felt like they were screaming at the moment, he moved away from her.

She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or happy for his realization that their personal space had been crossed.

She watched his back, tall physique and muscular shape beneath his black suit.

She could only imagine what lay beneath those dark clothes.

"Oh get a grip on yourself." Hermione muttered rolling her eyes and biting her lower lip.

"Get a what?" he slowly asked her turning to her again.

Hermione quickly shook her head.

"Nothing." Hermione quickly said. "Sorry."

He nodded at her and walked around what Hermione supposed was his library.

She watched him closely, yes he was the man at the café but could he be the same man at the auction?

She was doubtful back at the café but seeing the grandeur of his place, it could not be impossible that it wasn't him.

"Have you eaten?" he asked her as he walked towards the middle of the room towards the long reading table.

Hermione only stared at him.

"I asked my servants to bring you something to eat." Loki said gesturing his hands.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she walked towards him.

"I prefer the term handmaid." Hermione said with a tone that Loki didn't miss. "And yes, thank you and I have eaten."

"Did I just sense some hostility at the term?" he asked her slowly as he took one of the books from the pile over the long table and opened it. "Or some issue in regards with the lower class?"

"I just prefer to call and treat them with _equality."_ Hermione answered again with a tone as she folded her arms and stared at his direction.

Loki didn't miss any of it.

But instead of getting intimidated, he seemed amused by her beliefs and stand.

"What's funny?" Hermione asked suddenly feeling that his handsomeness was slowly fading away by his attitude.

"There is nothing funny." Loki said with a look over his face while his long fingers lifted through page after another from the book he had opened. "You just remind me of my brother's – American friend. He was also all about terms and labels, of honor and patriotism and all that."

"Your brother then might have different or rather higher order of beliefs to hang around with certain people who share such beliefs." Hermione coldly pointed out with a smirk.

 _BAM._

Hermione gasped as he shut the bound book over the table with a loud and hard snap.

Hermione took one step backward as he slowly looked up at her with dark eyes.

The look of amusement completely vanished from his face.

All the smile over his face had gone and the kindness had vanished as well.

What was left was a cold look and a dark aura in his facial features that matched his clenching fists.

Hermione was already more than sure that she has said the wrong thing.

For a moment, he kept his eyes over the book as if reminiscing something painful, recalling something completely different that he had forgotten of her presence there.

"My brother…" Loki slowly began standing up straight again. "Has beliefs and standards that are both ordinary and unlikely in its own way."

"And yours?" Hermione asked him gaining a little back of her confidence. "What are yours?"

His eyes moved back to her as if he was transcended back into her presence in the room.

His smile was slowly returning this time and a look of being proud came about his face.

"I believe in many things." Loki replied as a cold smile started spreading along his face. "But a handful would be that enough intellect will save your life at the right time and right moment that no amount of brawns and bravery nor patriotism can match it."

Hermione stared at him.

That picked her brains.

He wasn't just rich, he was obviously insightful and wasn't just someone who mocked the lesser mortals.

He was obviously well-read and has very interesting thoughts.

Hermione decided to relax once more and not jump into any assumptions about the lad in front of her.

She looked up at him, considering his possible knowledge in things that was seemingly not appropriate his age.

If she would take a closer look, he seemed a few years younger than Lupin and a few years older than Bill Weasley – so somewhere there in between.

"I'm sorry." his voice drawled out, interrupting her thoughts. "I don't want to give you a wrong impression over things. Let's begin again.. May I?" he asked pulling out a chair for her from the long table.

Hermione sighed and nodded and slowly sat down, not leaving her eyes unaware of his movements around her.

He took a few books from the table and one from the shelf.

"Can I delight you with certain selections?" he asked her placing the handful of books in front of her.

Hermione looked up and read the tiles.

She looked up at him.

"I would be assuming these are your taste?" he asked motioning to the books.

Hermione's eyes slightly widened and she then recalled these were selections at par to what she was reading back at the café when they met.

She smiled and nodded at him.

"I do have certain tastes." Hermione replied, nodding towards the pile of books he had placed before her. "And you?"

He stared at her, seemingly reading her thoughts as he kept their eye contact.

Despite his formality in his stance, he smiled and sat at the edge of the table, closing in the gap of their personal space once more.

"My tastes… are…" he spoke quite slowly, alluring and almost sensual in a way. "..rather… complicated."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably after she realized that she wasn't just gawking at him but was actually literally leaning towards very bit and word he was speaking.

He stared down at her with that knowing smile over his face again.

Hermione looked away, shifting uncomfortably over the chair.

He moved away from her sensing her nervousness.

"Why are you tensed?" he asked her, backing away and leaning backwards over the shelf nearest the long table.

"I'm not tensed." Hermione said looking away and turning red. "Why would I be?"

"Yes, why would you be.." he whispered at her moving forward again.

Hermione tried to look at everything but his beautiful eyes and handsome physique.

"You mean I don't make you feel nervous?" he asked her suddenly moving forward and placing each hand on either side of the chair to completely block her and catch her off-guard.

Hermione felt stuck in her position with her voice stuck in her throat as well.

"Do I?"

"Do you – do you what?" she stuttered. .

"Do I make you feel nervous?" he repeated slowly.

He slowly moved his finger to gently move her face to look up at him.

Their eyes met once more and the same tingling sensation crept all over her again.

"Miss Granger?" he called her name softly. "Do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

Her eyes moved to him, wondering what kind of answer he wanted because he obviously knew the answer already.

"I'm not nervous." Hermione said gaining herself again. "Neither do I feel uncomfortable. But I would appreciate a little distance, Mr. Laufeyson."

And suddenly, she moved herself away from him and stood up, facing herself away from his direction and placing both her hands across her chest.

She could tell that he was just feeling even more amused over this reaction.

"Is there anything else you would require Miss Granger to feel a bit more comfortable?" he slowly asked her taking a book from the table and reading it through.

"Comfortable?" Hermione asked turning back at him.

"When I found you, you were seemingly.. lost in your own thoughts.." Loki explained to her in a slow and low tone. "You were quite preoccupied to notice the falling debris."

Hermione listened to his words and then her eyes suddenly widened.

Now she slowly and then completely remembered.

"It was you." Hermione said taking a few steps forward him. "It was you.. you did.. you were…"

"Yes, it was me." Loki replied losing the book and leaning back against the table and still making no difference to how taller he was compared to her.

Hermione gaped at him, wondering why he was like this.

He didn't seem like gloating but he neither seemed humble in her opinion.

"Well I should thank you." Hermione said. "For saving me.. I was.. it was a rough day."

"I see." Loki said. "But are you not too young to be feeling this tired?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You're beautiful and young." Loki answered her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And I wouldn't doubt that you're intellectual as well. So why or rather what would be tiring and exhausting all that energy from you?"

She looked up at him, thinking of what to say.

What does tire her out in the daily life she was living?

Well, she has work and then there goes dealing with people and this goes every day.

There was no Dark Lord to be vanquished nor Horcruxes to be searched for so that was off the list.

What was really stressing her out?

Life.

The life she was living in an everyday routine was the thing that stresses her out.

Her eyebrows quirked and when she looked up at him again, he was looking at her with a knowing expression.

It was as if he knew the answer, it was as if he was just waiting for her to admit the answer they both knew.

"Nothing." Hermione replied completely turning away from him. "Look, thank you for all of these, but I need to go home."

"I see." Loki said nodding at her. "May I delight you for a little tour of the gardens?"

"No." Hermione quickly replied before her whole body screams yes to his offer. "I just really want to go home."

He looked at her and the look of disappointment wasn't hidden over his face.

"I'm sorry." Hermione quickly said, regretting how rude she may look like. "I just.. I just didn't tell.. Someone's waiting for me at home."

His eyes quickly moved to her and there was a look that passed his eyes that told her that he didn't like what she had just said.

But she was worried and was thinking of how worried Harry may be already.

"I see then." Loki quietly said straightening up from the table and nodding at her. "I apologize for assuming certain things. Very lucky lad he must be."

"Oh no!" Hermione quickly said raising her hand towards him. "He's not – I mean-"

She bit her lower lip not really knowing why she had to say that and why she had to sound so apologetic to him about it.

He looked back at her, obviously confused.

"I'm not following." Loki honestly said but he was obviously waiting for her to elaborate further.

"Someone's waiting – a friend of mine – he's name is Harry." Hermione began not really knowing why she was explaining to him. "He's my bestfriend and he knows I don't just – don't just disappear out of thin air so I'm sure he's worried that.. well.. you know."

He looked at her, studying her and analyzing her words.

He must have come to a certain agreement in his head about her story that he only nodded at her and gave her a smile.

"Then perhaps nobody would mind if I bring you back?" he asked her. "I take it you're just from town?"

"Ah.. yes.. I can actually just.. " she paused unsure if she was even at the right place to divulge that she was a witch. "Wait.. where are we exactly?"

"Hampstead Heath, London." he replied with a gleeful smile.

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth fell open.

They were at another side of London and at one of the most luxurious streets.

She has only ever been there once when she accompanied Fleur and her other to shop when she visited the couple a few months ago.

"We're at – did you just say- how did we-"

"We can take a ride?" he offered her with a smile. "Or do you prefer your way of traveling?"

Her eyes quirked back at him.

Did he know she was a witch?

"My way..of traveling?" she slowly asked him trying to sound innocent of the query.

"Yes." Loki replied as he began to walk to the door with Hermione at his heel. "Your way of traveling."

"I'm not sure I understand." Hermione lied at him, gnawing at the tip of her tongue to ask if he was a wizard.

She had not seen a wand and no portrait told her that he was a wizard.

And focusing back over the books, they were more elaborate stories and studies of the stars, planets and universe – but nothing in precise definition of magic except for the first book she's seen.

But ofcourse, unless there was precise and actual magic done there, she couldn't just ask and assume that he was a wizard.

"Mr. Laufeyson-"

 _"_ _Loki_ , please." he said turning to her as he held the door for her. "Call me in my name."

He gently reached for her hand and before Hermione could do anything, he lowered his lips over her hand and kissed it again.

She blushed furiously.

Why on the bloody earth was she feeling this way as his eyes met hers?

"Call me Hermione then." she said unable to stop herself from giving in to the look he was sending her way. "It was really a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine, my lady." Loki replied to her letting her hand go as slowly as he could possibly do so.

The term lightened up a thought inside her head but she wasn't sure what to ask really.

Why was his place so grand, why was it that his servants dressed differently, was the library his or his father's or – she had so many questions and now she was about to leave because she was so rude and stubborn.

"I wish I could ask you to stay further." Loki suddenly said as if reading her thoughts. "But if you must really go, may I ask if you would allow that we meet once more?"

"Allow we –" Hermione's brains lagged again. "Us? To meet?"

"Yes." Loki said with a brilliant smile. "What is it they call it these days? Ah.. Would you like to have some coffee with me?"

"Coffee?"

"Oh, am I wrong?" Loki asked concernedly. "Is it not called coffee-"

"It is." Hermione quickly said nodding at him. "It's called coffee."

She was smiling up at him, gaping was more like it.

And he looked back at her as if he himself was having a good time having her there.

"This is nice. Really." Hermione finally said and Loki could tell the honesty in her tone. "I mean.. I just really have to go."

"I understand that, ofcourse." Loki said smiling at her. "We would see one another again."

"How will I-"

"I will find you." Loki said opening the doors to lead her out.

"Find me?" Hermione asked with a slight chuckle as she stepped out of the doors. "But I-"

"I have my ways, Hermione." Loki said with that same mischievous smile again. "Trust me when I tell you that I'll find you."

"Wait, can you hold on right there and just stop there."

"Stop where?" Hermione breathlessly asked him, completely distracted from the trail of her story.

"To the part where this Mr. Leyfu-"

"Laufy-"

"Lafy-guy-"

 _"_ _Laufeyson-"_

"Yes him." Harry said with a devastated sigh at him. "Yes. Him. Stop there."

"What about it?" Hermione asked with a raised brow. "That was the beginning of my story, Harry."

He looked back at her annoyed expression and knew that she was feeling bad for being disrupted with her words.

Harry looked back at her as he stirred his coffee and then moved back to her over the countertop and placed it before her.

"Yes. Him. I'd like to know more of him."

"More of him?"

"Yes. What does he do?"

"He.. I'm not quite sure." Hermione admitted knowing they didn't talk as much to have enough time to go to that area.

She looked up at Harry and knew that look he was giving her.

Now she knew that she didn't only look but also sounded stupid.

"So you just met him?" Harry slowly repeated the facts back to her. "And you're already planning to have coffee with him?"

"Well, if he confirms-"

"And he said he will find you?" Harry said with an unmistakable smirk over his face.

Hermione looked annoyed.

"Oh, forget it." Hermione said turning away and shoving her hand up in the air. "Why am I even bothering on telling you these things?"

Harry smiled at her and shook his head.

"Ofcourse I just want to know what's happened to you." Harry said with a smile.

"You're making fun of what happened to me."

"I'm not making fun of what happened to you." Harry protested. "You know how bloody worried I was?! You just freaking vanished and then you just come out of nowhere after like what twelve hours or so – you could already be declared a missing person-"

"I'm still at London. I'm not missing." Hermione said with a raished brow. "And for your information, you can only report a missing person if that person vanishes out of thin air, without a trace within 24 hours."

"It has been almost 24 hours."

"It's different."

"It's the same." Harry argued with finality in his tone.

He looked back at her from the other side of the table.

And then Hermione's facial expression softened.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said reaching out for his hand and taking it into hers. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I wanted to get back as soon as I realized the hours that passed."

Harry stared back at her.

The more she stared, the further Harry's fury ebbed away.

Harry's crossed facial features slowly vanished and softened as well.

He heavily sighed at her and nodded and Hermione knew that she's already won him back.

"Just don't do that again." Harry warningly said. "Please, Hermione. These days are… we've just survived the war. I can't exactly accept if you're just going to die for some random reason."

"I won't die." Hermione said quickly getting herself around him and embracing him from behind. "Oh Harry. What will I do without you?"

"You're right." Harry said. "You're prolly going to die without the Chosen One by your side." Harry said with a smirk, leaning forward to kiss her but Hermione quickly pulled her hand away from his waist and moved away, chuckling.

Hermione let him go but Harry's hand held her and let her go as slowly as he could possibly do so until eventually, only their hands held.

He looked at her and Hermione knew what he was thinking at that moment.

"We've already talked about this." Hermione whispered with an obvious regret in her tone. "You already know my stand upon this."

"I'm not in a hurry, Hermione." Harry said with a smile on his face as he pressed her hand into his. "Please just.. "

"I will just break your heart." Hermione said with a smile as she caressed his face.

Harry closed his eyes at the sensation and feel of her soft hand against his cheek.

He opened his green eyes to find her staring back at him with her sweet brown ones.

"I will be here for you and you know that." Hermione said. "And I will always love you…just not in the way.."

Her words trailed off as Harry pulled her to him and locked her within his grasp and tightly held her over his chest before burying his face in her long and thick tresses.

He close his eyes as he inhaled her scent.

"Give it time." Harry whispered to her. "Give it enough time."

Several more days had passed and though Hermione would not admit it to herself, she had come back to the café the whole week to check if Mr. Loki Laufeyson had returned.

She would never let her know that he was looking for him if by chance they meet.

But she would neither admit it to herself that she wanted to see him again and have a chat.

Despite his seemingly cool and blunt demeanor, she would have to admit that there was seemingly something interesting about him that she just couldn't put a finger on.

She was obviously curious about the man she barely knew.

According to the hour patterns she's tried, he didn't seem to be there again nor did it seem like he was ever coming back.

Her usual spot had always been empty and only ever occupied once by an old man but nothing more.

Recalling he had a sort of different accent, Hermione then realized that he could have been a mere tourist.

A tourist?

A tourist who obviously had enough money to have a grand place at that side of the country.

His library was so big and grand and she wondered if she will never see it again.

She bit her lip and berated herself every time the thought of jaunting down at his street would come across her mind.

There was no way she was going down there to look for a man who was obviously out of her league.

"Miss Granger?" came a voice and a knock over her door.

Hermione shook her head and looked up from her untouched desk work for three hours now.

"Come in." Hermione said quickly sitting straight and tying her hair back with the loose band Harry had given her a few weeks ago.

The door opened and Hermione finished up with her hair and was pretending to be busy and not daydreaming for the past hours.

Her assistant smiled at her and slowly entered.

"Yes?" she asked as she gave Hermione a reluctant look over her face.

"Uhm.. well.. you have delivery." the assistant said walking forward her desk and handing her a form to sign.

"Oh. What is it?" Hermione asked reaching for it and grabbing a quill from the pile of work over her desk.

"Uh… flowers?" her assistant said watching her sign her name over the parchment.

"Yes." her assistant replied taking the parchment from her. "Flowers. Downstairs. And they're… well, they're still downstairs trying to bring them up to our floor."

"Bring them up?" Hermione asked with a tone. "It's just a bouquet. Couldn't they just-"

"I don't think they're just a bouquet Miss Granger."

"What?" Hermione asked her unable to comprehend what she had just said. "What do you-"

"Hermione? Do you know what's going on?" Harry asked as he burst into the room.

The other two looked up at a harassed looking Harry.

"What?"

"All six lifts can't be used." Harry said. "I have a meeting in a few minutes and I can't get up at the Auror's conference room." Harry said looking up at her with an irritated look over his face. "They said all lifts are being used and the freaking stairs are beginning to crowd."

Hermione quickly stood up and stared at her assistant.

He looked at her then at the assistant and back at her. "What's going on?" he asked. "Did I interrupt something? Do you know what's going on out there?"

"Uh… that's what I was trying to say, Miss Granger." the assistant replied.

Harry opened his mouth to ask about it but Hermione dived out of her desk and quickly pulled him with her to check what was going on.

They paced fast towards the main corridor that led to the main lobby for where the lifts were.

A lot of witches and wizards were waiting for the lifts to open to take their ride but they were all occupied from the ground and unmoving.

"What's going on?" Harry asked a few bystanders staring at the crowd that was beginning by the lobby that was caused by the elevators that were stuck at the ground floor.

"Loading some delivery." one witch replied. "I think they are all stuck at the ground floor."

"All of the elevators are being used?" Hermione asked with a look of worry over her face especially at the idea that it may be because of some delivery for her.

"All lifts." another wizard replied. "All bloody six of them."

Hermione and Harry stared at one another before grabbing one another's hand to squeeze their way through the thickening crowd to get nearer onto one of the lifts.

But before they could even really reach the front, there came the sounds of the lifts reaching the floor and simultaneously opening altogether.

One man from one of the lifts got out and looked around and quickly walked towards the ministry guard he found.

He walked up to him with a parchment in his hand.

"I would like to ask where the office of Miss Hermione Jean Granger is?" he asked with a tone loud enough for a few people at front to hear and pass around the crowd.

Harry quickly turned to Hermione who had a horrified look over her face.

She sank behind Harry trying to hide herself from the crowd that was now murmuring in wonder while passing her name around.

Her face was burning red now as they saw the guard gesture towards the corridor that led to her office.

"Thank you." the man said and he turned back to the lifts and loud enough for the lobby to hear. "Down two corridors and left and straight ahead to Miss Granger's office."

And before Harry and Hermione could comprehend the whole situation or stop it from even happening, each lift unloaded atleast seven men all carrying extremely large bouquets of flowers with the rarest shade of lavender and blue that Harry and Hermione has ever seen.

They all marched up in an organized manner, carrying the roses with the rare shade that Harry has never seen in his life before.

Whispers grew louder as they all lined up and marched like soldiers towards the direction that were given to them to bring the roses.

"What flower is that?" Harry muttered as they moved within the crowd hiding Hermione from sight while making sure they could see all the deliveries being unloaded from the lifts.

"They definitely don't grow that here." Hermione said with a sharp tone while she sank behind Harry watching the rest of the men carry the endless bouquet of flowers in sight.

"From abroad then?" Harry asked whispered as they backed farther from the crowd. "Not from London?"

"More like not from this planet." Hermione muttered back at him with her brains trying to figure out who the hell sent the roses.

"What do you mean not from this planet?" Harry asked back a little louder than he had meant to. .

"We've only read of this at professor Sprout's class."

"Read of it?" Harry asked in a tone that assured Hermione that he never truly paid attention in his class with the old woman nor did he ever open any book about it.

"Oh, forget about it." Hermione said rolling her eyes at him. "Legend says it grows in another planet and is a plant of the royal family and is symbol for certain things."

"Legend?" Harry asked her. "Plants of royal family? Are you sure we went to the same school, 'Mione?" he asked her with a smirk as the last of the men left the elevators and disappeared from the corridor.

Before Hermione could give a retort however, one of the witches recognized Hermione from the thinning crowd and pointed at her direction.

Some heads turned at their direction and pointed.

Harry quickly grabbed her hand and before they could be asked on what has just happened, he dragged her by the hand to one of the nearest lifts and Hermione drew out her wand to open it.

They both dived inside and Harry pulled out his wand to close and lock it and make it move floors down before anyone else could ride the elevators with them and ask them about it.

The two of them sank down on the floor of the lift, breathless and in complete confusion.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Harry asked her turning to face her.

"I have no idea." Hermione replied pocketing her wand again and looking back at him with the same harassed expression.

"Well someone's obviously persistent on something." Harry said standing up with an unmistakable jealousy in his tone. "You've never mentioned someone's courting you."

"Because nobody is." Hermione snapped back at him taking his hand anyway as he helped her back on her feet.

"Are you sure about it?" he asked her straightening up his Auror uniform.

"I'm quite sure about it." Hermione replied straightening her skirt down. "You're the first to know, don't worry."

Harry opened his mouth to say something but the lifts made a sound again and they reached the ground floor of the Ministry.

The doors slowly opened up and the moment Hermione stepped out, her eyes quickly saw Mr. Loki Laufeyson smiling and animatedly talking to the guards of the Ministry as they finished up checking his body for anything suspicious or dangerous that he may bring inside the building.

"Fuck." Hermione muttered, bowing away and quickly pushing Harry back inside the elevator and closing the doors with her wand.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry worriedly asked her as the lift doors closed in again and began moving back up again.

"Do you have your Invisibility Cloak with you?" she asked as her brains moved around, thinking of a way out of the building without being seen.

"My cloak?" Harry asked her. "You do know that it won't fit us both any longer, right?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah, I know." Hermione said quickly folding her sleeves and the rest of her clothes that could consume too much space. "Hand it over."

Harry looked down at her, bewildered.

"Oh, come on." Hermione said as the lifts moved floor after another. "I know it's with you."

Harry stared at her and then he sighed in resignation and pulled it out from one of the magically made pockets of his uniform.

Hermione grabbed it from him while Harry watched her dawn on it, covering every possible part of her and then pointing her wand again to move the lift back to the ground floor.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked her. "Can you explain to me what the hell is going on?" Harry asked confused now as the elevators moved to a descending direction again .

"I'll explain later. Am I not seen any longer?" Hermione asked pulling the cloak all over herself.

Harry sighed and made sure that it was in place.

"Yes." Harry muttered feeling completely stupid talking to a wall. "I can't see you anymore."

"Great. When the lifts open, we exit and leave immediately."

"I have a meeting." Harry said knowing that was an impossible task anyway. "And you need to explain this to me."

The elevator doors opened again and this time, even without speaking, Harry could tell that Hermione was shock at the sight before them.

The man, who had been by the guards a little earlier on was about to take the lift they were to leave.

He looked back at the opened door then back at Harry who was seemingly alone in the lift.

His beautiful eyes moved from Harry then back at the space where Harry was hiding under the cloak.

He stood there for a moment, a nice staff gleaming in his hand.

Harry stared back at him and noticed how his eyes moved around the elevator as if he knew that Harry wasn't boarded alone in the lift.

Hermione held her breath under the cloak, making sure she wasn't scene.

She had been looking for this man for days now and at that moment they came face to face, she was praying that he wouldn't know she was there.

Harry nodded at Loki and slowly dismounted the lift, slowly walking outside to ensure that Hermione would have enough time to squeeze herself somewhere in between them under the cloak.

The man nodded back at him in a very short greeting with a straight face.

He kept his eyes behind Harry as if he knew, as if he felt that someone else was there.

Harry halted in his steps, feeling if Hermione had already left and was already right behind him.

He watched out of the corner of his eyes as the other man boarded the lift.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he felt Hermione brushed behind him with the utmost sound of her held breath.

The door started to move and then the man called back at him.

Hermione and Harry's eyes widened and they both stood frozen a few inches from the lift he stopped from closing with his long staff.

They both couldn't just move, unsure what they would see if they turn back.

It could be some part of Hermione floating in midair or her skirt or any part of her clothing stuck somewhere in the lift's side that was now obvious in plain sight and out of the protection and magic of the cloak.

"Excuse me." his thick and rich voice spoke behind them both. "I think you dropped something."

Hermione held her breath, trying not to move a muscle while Harry debated whether to look back down or not.

He had his wand in his hand so he was sure he didn't drop anything but he wasn't sure if Hermione had dropped hers in her haste to dawn over the cloak earlier on.

Harry's green eyes slowly turned and widened as he had just realized that Hermione had dropped the white and rose pink designed loose band he had given her before that she uses for her dark tresses.

He looked back at Loki and before he could even move, he had moved himself with hands outstretched at the very spot where Hermione was standing and kept hidden to pick up the loose band.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter VI**_

 ** _The Invitation_**

The next occurrence happened so fast that Hermione thought Harry had done some nonverbal magic.

He had bent over so fast that she could swear he nearly pushed Loki to give him a reason to pay them even more attention and say something about it.

"Thanks." Harry said quickly pocketing the hair band and pushing Hermione at the other side of the door while he backed away to keep her presence from being felt by Loki.

He was looking up at Harry with a suspicious gaze and had turned his eyes once more to the direction where Hermione was standing.

Harry could swear that he could see through Invisibility Cloaks.

Harry nodded at him before the elevator doors closed and he could just see his eyes moving from Hermione then back at his direction.

The doors closed and the lift moved upwards once more.

 _"_ _That's him."_ Hermione whispered as he followed her voice nearing the exit of the Ministry.

"That's who?" Harry whispered back as they quickly moved and stepped out of the building and out into the fresh air.

"Loki." Hermione said as they stepped a few blocks away from the Ministry and she removed the cloak at a sidestreet.

 _"_ _The Lafy-guy?"_

 _"_ _Laufeyson_." Hermione corrected him with an annoyed expression over her face.

"Why was he-"

"Obviously." Hermione said folding the cloak and handing it back to him to keep inside his Auror uniform.

"So he sent you those flowers?" Harry asked pocketing it and keeping it out of sight.

"Yes." Hermione answered looking around if they were followed.

"You're paranoid." Harry pointed out. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know." Hermione replied. "Let's go back to the apartment. I'm not feeling so well into going back at work today."

"I've got a meeting." Harry said. "But I can accompany you."

"No, you go back." Hermione told him. "You find out what he wants."

"Didn't the roses spell out the obvious?" Harry shot back at her.

Hermione folded her arms and shook her head.

"Completely idiotic." Hermione said. "I'm not even going to answer that."

And without another word, they both stalked and walked out of the Ministry of Magic building.

But Harry could have sworn that Hermione's lips had curled and swerved to the smallest hint of a smile and a blush growing at both sides of her cheeks.

"Hermione?" Harry called out knocking over her bedroom door.

They spent the rest of the day in her apartment where she eventually decided to sleep while Harry went out for some grocery shopping to make dinner for both of them that night.

It was half –past five in the afternoon.

"Harry?" Hermione murmured as Harry knocked several more times before opening the door.

She was squished in comfortably under the pillows and blankets of her bed and was looking around her slightly dark room.

"What time is it?" she yawned as Harry lit the room with his wand. "Almost night time. Your assistant came by and brought in some of the flowers from Lafy guy."

Hermione groaned and tossed over the bed and hid herself under the blankets.

She felt Harry walk to the bedside to her.

"Hermione." Harry said and she felt her bed move as Harry sat at the end of it with the sounds of the packaged flowers being placed next to her. "Get up. Come on."

"I don't want to see that."

"Oh come on. Be a sport about this." Harry said obviously amused. "The guy just has some crush on you."

"Crush on me?" Hermione's voice came from under the sheets. "Did you see how many flowers he's got delivered at my office?"

"I haven't counted."

"I'm not even joking about this." Hermione muffled voice spat back at him.

Harry chuckled and climb the bed to move closer to her.

"Come on. It's not like you'd actually say yes to him." Harry said pulling over the bunch of roses from the end of the bed and opening the card on it. "A dinner at seven tonight at the Café Rameau. I shall await for you as the clock chimes right."

Harry's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

Instead, he pulled the card away from the bunch of roses after reading it to her and folding it away over the bedside table.

"You have more than an hour to prepare."

"I'm not bloody going." Hermione said. "Are you seriously pushing me to this?"

"No." Harry said. "But you can go down there and settle things with him and tell him that you aren't interested."

A momentary silence from Hermione.

And then there was a shift on the bed as she moved and she put herself out from under the sheets with her hair all over her face.

"Do you think that will work?" she seriously asked Harry as she considered.

"Think so." Harry said. "I mean, guys would really like to date girls who doesn't say yes nor say no to them. You're playing the hard to get if you don't give him a straight answer."

Hermione stared back at him, considering his point.

"You'll accompany me?" she asked him biting her lower lip.

Harry pulled her closer and kissed her over the forehead.

"Ofcourse.. not." Harry said with a chuckle. "You can do this on your own. If I come with you, he'll think I gnalled you into it and he will most likely not take your rejection seriously. I'll wait here and finish up the dinner."

Hermione gave him a sad and angry look over the face.

"Are you sure this will work?" she asked him.

"If there's anything I've realized is that girls would want a straight answer in things and boys don't really differ, 'Mione." Harry said. "Besides, he looks intelligent enough to accept a rejection if he receives one. So get up, get yourself dressed and get down at that café and break his heart."

Harry moved over the bed again as Hermione pulled the card from the bedside and read through.

"I'm not dressing in anything fancy, alright?" she said as Harry pulled her up from the bed and helped her back on her feet over the carpeted floor.

"Nothing fancy." Harry had said. "Now come on, you need to look nice when you break someone's heart."

But Hermione vastly regretted dressing herself down the moment she entered the café and inquired at the entrance of the café.

It wasn't just some café.

It was a very large, expensive, elite and exclusive looking place.

The man by the lobby was nice and had inquired if she had any reservations.

She had dressed herself into a short black dress and had a large thin layered scarf draped over her shoulders while everyone else who entered were in tux and cocktail dresses or gowns.

She was furiously blushing but the old man by the entrance took no notice and was pleasant to her.

"I'm actually.. invited." Hermione said unsure of what to tell the man. "Is there any reservation under the name of a Mr. Laufeyson?"

The man opened the large book by the table and turned the pages while Hermione waited nervously around her.

She kept her head down and felt like a complete idiot dressing this way.

She should have inquired to him where they were going but then again, she had no means of contact with the man.

Hermione expected to break things with the man and tell him straight off that she wasn't interested about anything else but with this kind of effort and the way she had brought herself tonight, she felt that she was the one who was going to get the wrong end of the bargain tonight.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" the man asked. "Mr. Laufeyson has been here for about an hour ago. Come miss, I'll have someone assist you to the area."

"Oh, that's nice.. alright.. thanks." Hermione reluctantly said as she stared at the double doors where the main entrance was.

Hermione was assisted then by a younger waiter who looked excited at the prospect of her.

It was either she was this way with her job or she recognized her.

But she didn't have time to really decide as the double doors opened and she was immediately greeted by the grandeur of the restaurant.

High ceiling with chandeliers, elaborately designed with interior that shoved elegance and money right at her face and everything else that spelled out expensive.

The floors were intricately designed and had the same expensive looking carpets while the walls were paneled by either paintings or other lavish interior.

Round tables were placed everywhere and the elite were dining at their will with laughs and cheers and the casual sounds of the wine glasses around and about.

"Miss Granger, here if you please." the young waitress said leading her straight up at the end of the room where another double doors were waiting.

"Wait where are we-"

"You are reserved at the exclusive room with Mr. Laufeyson." she explained as she excitedly led Hermione down the room. "The man seems to like his privacy."

Her eyebrows arched up at the mention of it as she looked around the room.

Some people especially women were gazing up at her as if striking her by glares of why she was there and why she was wearing what she was wearing.

Finally, they reached a darkened door and the waiter knocked twice.

"Come in." Loki's familiar voice answered and the door was opened for Hermione.

Hermione nodded at the waitress as she entered the room.

It was a smaller room and if privacy was what the man wanted, he was really going to get it.

She felt chills around her as if telling her that if something happens in this room, she could scream all she want and not a soul in the world would hear her.

"Mr. Laufeyson, we'll have your order prepared in a few minutes."

"Yes, thank you." Loki said. "I would like a menu left here incase Miss Granger would like something else."

Hermione watched the waitress nod and give her an excited look before leaving them alone.

The moment the door closed, Hermione felt her heart beat fast.

She looked around at Loki who was silent yet fast on his heels.

He had moved right next to her and had pulled up a chair for her from the good table for two in the room.

But she had no interest at the moment to take the chair.

Her eyes roamed around the extravagant yet classy and Victorian looking exclusive room for the two of them.

"Do you like it?" he asked seeing her eyes roam around the small interior of a bookshelf placed at the end of the room. "I've thought you would rather like something as this place than out there where you could hear everyone babble. I am not very fond of.. a boisterous crowd."

"I'd agree." Hermione muttered half-heartedly as mostly her attention was at the nice view of the room.

Hermione's heart was racing.

 _She loved the room._

And she couldn't help but gape around and be excited at what she was seeing.

She was seriously slowly regretting her venture here tonight and knew that she was slowly going to forget why she was there in the first place.

"It's.. it's a nice place." Hermione said unable to stop herself. "It's a nice.. yes, I'm sorry. This is a nice place."

"I'm glad you like it." Loki said with a proud tone. "I've expected that you were this type."

Hermione stopped walking around the room as her bubble of thoughts quickly exploded at the comment on her.

Hermione turned to him and saw him excitedly smiling back at her as he waited for her to take the seat he has pulled up for her.

She looked back at the chair and the nice table that was prepared with gold platter and utensils and a nice candle lit.

She heavily sighed and knew that she had to begin telling him the reason why she was there in the first place.

"Mr. Laufeyson-"

"Loki." he corrected her immediately with a slightly firm tone. "We've talked about it, yes?"

"Yes." Hermione said nodding at him. "I apologize. I was just…"

"Come have a seat." he said with a nice and inviting smile. "Please, Hermione. If you love the interior of this place you would absolutely be joyous with their offered feast."

Hermione bit her lip.

It was so obvious that she so wanted to take the seat but she was also very reluctant.

"Come on now." Loki said with a mischievous grin at her. "I don't bite."

Hermione blushed and she nodded at him and slowly walked to his side of the room and took the seat.

He waited until she was comfortable enough and then she moved at the other side of the table and settled on his seat and handed her the menu.

"Not yet anyway." Loki suddenly said with another gleeful smile.

Hermione gave a chuckle but it was so obvious that she either felt nervous or scared by that notion.

She watched him out of the corner of her eyes as she pretended to check the menu while he settled himself at the other side of the table.

By his movements and the way his elegant long fingers moved, she could tell that he knew his manners and seemed very used into this kind of lifestyle.

She wondered then suddenly if he was somewhat related to Draco Malfoy because the way he was living his life, he seemed to be accustomed to what old-gold lifestyle was like.

"Anything else for your acquired taste?" he asked her as he smiled at her direction.

"Ah, no, not really." Hermione said quickly realizing there was nothing in the menu she wanted.

They all looked expensive as hell.

"Did you like the flowers?" he asked her straightforward as he took the menu from her and placed it over the next empty chair.

"Ah – the – "

"The flowers I sent you." Loki pressed on clearly. "I have sent you –"

"I've received them." Hermione said her eyes lit up at the notion of it. " _All of them."_

His forehead knitted a little which told her that he caught her sarcasm just at the right point.

Loki smiled back at her in acknowledgement but she could tell that there was something else behind those eyes.

He looked very handsome and extremely clean and elegant in his black suit and newly and slightly cut black hair.

"You've had a haircut." Hermione said unable to say anything else to make a short conversation with him.

"Yes." Loki said. "I find it that my manner of wearing it is slightly off-course of this place."

Hermione nodded at him but deep inside, was incredulously thinking how off-course he was also in manner of talking.

He spoke differently in certain terms and his accent was also in different accept and slightly poetic, almost not from this time.

"I've come from a long old lineage." Loki suddenly said as if he could read her mind. "We lived differently from where I come from."

"I could tell." Hermione said. "And I do respect your way of living."

"As I do with yours." Loki replied with a nod as he began to open up the bottle of wine in front of them. "I find it quite a little behind of the time but nevertheless, something that could be managed through time."

Hermione's eyebrow raised at the comment but she quickly brushed it aside.

"Here, let me." Loki said reaching forward for her glass but she immediately shook her head at him.

He looked slightly displeased.

"Not tonight." Hermione said quickly making sure that she was in her right state of mind as they go through this. "I have work tomorrow morning."

"Come now, my dear." Loki said as he gave another engaging smile at her as he grabbed her glass and graciously poured wine onto it. "Just a little for tonight. One glass is all it would take."

Hermione looked ready to protest but for some reason, his way of smiling at her and moving around her seems to spell out a lot of other inviting things she couldn't say no to.

"One glass." Hermione replied with a smile as she nodded and thanked him and took the glass filled wine from across the table.

He looked very pleased as he went for his goblet and refilled his own glass with it.

His beautiful eyes didn't move away from Hermione as she took the goblet to her lips and inhaled the delicate smelling wine from the glass.

"To beginnings." Loki quietly said as he took his glass to his lips and watched Hermione gulp in the first few sips.

She quickly choked at his words to her.

This wasn't meant to be some sort of beginning, it was in fact, the other way around.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said quickly grabbing the napkin and putting the glass down. "Beginnings?"

"Yes." Loki said as he inhaled the wine himself and took a long draw from it. "Isn't that refreshing?"

Hermione wasn't sure if it was the wine or her head or both but she nodded at him in agreement.

Her eyes quickly moved back to the half-glass filled wine and back at him.

How the hell was she supposed to begin telling him off at that moment?

"Where did you get it?" she asked him knowing the label of the bottle wasn't something she was familiar with around London.

"From our distillery." he proudly answered her as he took another swig from his own glass. "I take it that you like it?"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"You have your own distillery?" she asked staring back at the bottle, grabbing it and reading through the label from which the writing she couldn't really understand.

"Yes." Loki answered with another big smile. "My mother ensured that my… my brother and I have every bit of comfort and needs tended to back in our place."

He looked very pleased with her reactions knowing that she did like the wine even without saying so.

"She must be a very generous woman." Hermione said. "To come up with your wills and wants all on a golden platter."

"She's the most generous woman you would ever meet." Loki said draining his glass and refilling it. "Sadly, you wouldn't get to meet her anymore as she had passed on.."

Hermione looked up at him and for a split moment, something dark and very sad passed his face.

It was a mixture of such emotions and expressions that she hasn't seen from him before.

"I'm sorry to hear about that." Hermione quietly said. "No man should ever suffer the loss of a parent, let alone.. a mother."

He didn't say anything but his expression quickly changed again and returned to what Hermione thought was a façade of constrained glee.

He waited for Hermione to take another sip from the wine before moving across the table to refill her half drank glass of wine.

"Oh no, you shouldn't really – I'm not going to take – "

"But we have a dinner we're both waiting for, yes?" he offered gallantly. "Come now. We both know that one glass wasn't really enough to let… the taste sip through, yes?"

He smiled expectantly at her and Hermione could only nod at him.

Her head was getting lighter by the moment and she knew that the wine was strong and that sooner or later, she should stop consuming it before she loses her head.

Loki toasted her over and moved the platter of cheese forward her and before she could say no, there was a knock and the doors opened and soon enough two pairs of waiters entered pushing in two grand carts of food trays for their orders.

She was already feeling the strong wine in her head when they entered because she was grinning back at Loki who was explaining something to her about the dishes that was to be served for them.

"Ordinarily served but the taste would just be the same as that if you were with me back at our place." Loki had been saying as the entrée and appetizers were first served for them.

Hermione felt hazy by this point that the moment these were served she immediately grabbed a few of the appetizers and sent it straight to her mouth.

She had realized how hungry she was then and had completely forgotten that Harry was cooking dinner for them back at home.

Loki looked back at her with growing interested.

Normally, he would be annoyed by people without any manners, but tonight he could tell that the Asgardian wine was overpowering her senses.

The Asgardian wine was ten times faster and stronger than the usual Mid-gard wine and he could already feel her toes tipping under the table over her side and her head flying all over the place.

"Everything that would pass your palate tonight are certain dishes that are most loved to where I came from."

"Sounds pleasing to me." Hermione said with hazy eyes and a big smile. "I have a notion that you've come from a really good royal place? Something like Denmark? Prague?"

Loki only smiled and gave her a small chuckle.

She knew she shouldn't have said that and she shouldn't be giving him that look but she could no longer control herself from the third refilled glass this time around.

At the back of her head, she knew she was sorely going to regret this night.

But there was an air about him that was seemingly both enticing and luring that she just couldn't resist his presence and advances.

"You sound like you really have a great place back there." Hermione commented without a right thought in the world as she placed her pursed over the other empty chair and sat comfortably before him. "Tell me where you're from? Is it beautiful there?"

She was beginning to slur on her words and Loki looked pleased than ever.

He knew that she had been restraining herself by manners and other reservations but now that she had been served by a wine she wasn't physically ready for, he knew that he had her down at all ends and sides.

"I wouldn't know your standards for what is beautiful, my lady." Loki began with an intent to entice with his tone. "But from where I come from, you can have the best view of the stars, of the universe."

A twinkle passed Hermione's eyes as she raised her glass to him.

"That sounds lovely." she was able to say properly despite her spinning head. "A view of the stars.. _That,_ I have never heard of."

There was a twinkle in her eye and a hint in her chuckle that told him that she was actually enjoying her time with him.

He smiled back at her, pleased with himself and the way the night was going.

"Then you should come with me some time." Loki said and Hermione already knew that this man was the kind that gets what he wanted every time and wasn't afraid to show his intentions.

Hermione only smiled at him.

"I'll take that as a yes?" he said with some finality in his tone that Hermione didn't miss.

She swallowed hard on that last sip she had taken and tried to focus her mind into her task at hand.

She knew that she wasn't going to last any longer and that her wits would soon go flying out of the window as fast as a snitch could escape a player's clutches.

And as much as she was still trying to hold herself back, Loki looked and sounded different.

He seemed to have no problem nor reluctance into inviting people or saying what was on his mind.

He was obviously interested in her and despite that he didn't say in straight on at that very moment, his body language and the way his eyes strayed around Hermione's curves revealed everything already.

This wasn't what they were supposed to be talking about and right now, the wine in her head were making all the buzz it could to distract her from her real reason for being there.

Hermione inhaled and tried to gather her thoughts together because he started saying something again that she began chuckling and laughing on despite that she really didn't get it.

"Mr. Laufeyson-"

 _"_ _Loki."_ he firmly reminded her. "You were saying?"

"Yes, Loki." Hermione agreed shaking her head and trying to blink her eyes several times as she was beginning to have blurred visions. "Listen.. this is really nice and everything.. but I do need to talk to you about something."

"Really?" he said with a faint attempt of surprise. "Well, by the gods of the nine realms, I've actually invited you here as well for a very good reason that I am sure you would like and not say no to."

Her mind lagged for a moment until it repeated the thought back in her head again.

Her eyes narrowed and she suddenly felt slightly offended by his assuming state.

"Not say no to?" she repeated with obvious sarcasm over her tone.

The wine was suddenly slowly wearing off from her as her emotions began taking over.

If there was anything that Hermione seemed very off about was being judged or quickly assumed over by things.

And Loki was fast in learning a lesson when it came to women.

"Hear out my proposition my darling." Loki said with another of his big smile as he moved forward to refill her glass again but Hermione moved her glass away and was staring back at him with a sudden change of mood.

"I'm here because I wanted to talk to you about something." Hermione determinedly said. "I would prefer if you hear me out first."

She didn't like that he assumed that through fancy dinner and good wine, he can just say that she would love whatever it was that he had to say after his invitation for the night.

She hated men who had an ego bigger than their dicks.

Loki stared at her then he nodded at her and inhaled and exhaled as he settled himself back over his chair.

"I apologize then." Loki said in good manners as he opened his hands to her. "Do let me hear what you have to say."

Hermione opened her mouth at his quick resignation but the doors opened again.

Soups and salad came next to be served over their table.

Her brows crossed as the waiters began serving and Loki was just staring at her, patiently waiting.

The look over his face told her that he was restraining his amusement at that very moment.

The waiters were serving and organizing their table that he could tell that Hermione was losing her patience to their pace.

"Thank you." Hermione said as she let the waiters leave giving them an angry glare for moving quite slow and delicate in manner that was interrupting their conversation.

"Please my lady." Loki offered seeing her reluctant to start over her second course. "No need to have reservations with me. Do feel comfortable and enjoy yourself in my company."

"Like you?" Hermione spat out unable to stop herself. "I could quite tell that you're enjoying yourself, aren't you?"

She was cold but it seemed to just make Loki even more delighted and turned on.

 _"_ _You're feisty_." Loki excitedly commented with a smile over his face. "And I really, really do like that. And yes, I'm quite enjoying myself. Aren't you?"

Her lips pursed as she watched him begin over the newly served dishes.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she shook her head.

 _"_ _Alright that's it_." Hermione now openly spat at him. "I'm here for a purpose so you're going to sit there and hear me out."

He only smirked and laughed at her.

The more angry she got the more turned on he seemed to be.

"But we are all _burdened_ with a purpose." Loki said gesturing his hands towards her. "By all means, do tell me why you have _willingly_ come to my invitation with that certain intention."

He could sense her emotions rising and could just sense her tone getting the better of her.

But he could also greatly sense her curiosity towards him because she wouldn't have accepted his invitation if she was really thinking that he was so full of himself.

And before Hermione could even begin, the doors opened again.

This time, the main courses were to be served.

She cursed despite herself as they were obviously going to be interrupted longer this time.

The main course were brought in and Hermione was served with a large turkey, an array and cuts of some other meat and a large platter of freshly caught seafood.

"What is this?" Hermione incredulously asked eyes wide at the freshly cooked seafood in front of her. "You also have an ocean park or something?"

She meant to be sarcastic but Loki only laughed at her and gestured for the waiters to continue serving the rest of the dishes.

Her eyes were wide in shock at the grandeur of the dinner as if this was some sort of private buffet party.

"No, my lady." Loki said. "This is just our custom and tradition when we invite women for dinner into the palace."

Hermione looked up at him.

Did he say Dallas or palace?

She was sure she heard some place being said but to assume it was the latter made her feel really stupid.

He kept the food coming in as the wine glass was also refilled after another without her being able to stop him this time around.

He may have a large ego, but he was a gentleman.

He moved across the table and began serving her dishes over her plate with elegance and certainty.

Hermione didn't say no to anything he served her but instead she watched him quietly as he explained to her each dish and if they had any relevance to their own culture and tradition.

By these little gestures, her head was then spun into another direction and she slowly forgot her annoyance and had slightly relaxed then and adjusted her thoughts again.

Maybe he wasn't that bad.

Maybe he really just was that kind of man who was straightforward and who acted his thoughts out.

And maybe, she could just delay her telling him off after dinner.

He obviously made such an effort and he was obviously not restraining himself from showing what he had to offer her.

From food to culture and traditions, the conversations stirred back to books and history.

Soon, Hermione found that the man had really good substance in his head and he really knew things.

He knew himself too well and seemed to know what Hermione was fond of.

Despite his use of what Hermione presumed old English language, the man was obviously a wide reader and he knew what he was talking about and had real thoughts and opinions on things.

And halfway through the main course and fourth glass of wine Hermione knew that he might have a large ego, but he does have a large and substantial brain to match it with.

"I'm sorry about my manners." Hermione said after a while, wiping napkin at the sides of her lips as she collected herself. "But thank you for this. I would suggest I listen to you first after all, you've kindly invited me here. And yes, I think my head is ready to listen to what you have to say."

He observed her momentarily as he nodded checking if her head was clearer this time and that her cold emotions had slowly gone away.

Hermione's head slowly cleared as the wine settled and she felt slightly relaxed and calmer.

"As you would have noticed by now, I had a few business in town." Loki began with a notably serious tone this time around. "And I've been looking for places to invest on."

"Go on." Hermione said with a nod at her. "I will be honest with you that I work for the Ministry of Magic and not in any line of business at all but I am listening."

He nodded and smiled at her as he straightened himself back over his chair and watch her gently cut the slices of seafood over her plate.

"Which is exactly why it is you that I need." Loki said. "You have the perfect position for me to be able to put my money into good use."

"Me?" Hermione repeated. "What's my job got to do with this?"

"I've had a couple of research and I found out that there are certain departments at your government that needed funding." Loki said and Hermione had immediately stopped eating.

She looked up at him with suspicion in her eyes as she tried to see any corruption from his eyes.

There were none she found.

"You seem surprised." Loki noted at her.

"What you've researched is quite correct." Hermione began as she placed her utensils down and sat straighter over her own chair across the table. "There are indeed certain departments at the Ministry of Magic that needed funding."

"Does your own department needs funding?" he asked straightforward.

Hermione didn't need to answer him for he already knew the answer.

"I need something clarified before we continue this conversation." Hermione said in a business-like manner. "There are only two reason for which the departments are usually offered funds by private sectors. One is the funds to be 'donated' are in exchange for something like an ex-deal of some sort."

"Ex-deal?"

"For example." Hermione began. "Some private sectors would be donating to departments and in exchange, would be given certain things in return like better road constructions at their part of the city, better services at a certain aspect-"

"And the next one?" Loki interrupted her. "The other reason?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Favors." Hermione answered with a cold tone. "Some government employees before for example donated through their private accounts – thus, putting them in the line of private sectors – and because of this, they were able to pull in favors here and there even until today. And these certain favors doesn't have limit – meaning they could be as corrupted as those who had donated in the departments."

Loki didn't say anything, he watched with quite observant eyes at how she related and explained things to him.

She was obviously not the type of person easily corrupted or rather corrupted at all.

"I understand." Loki thoughtfully said and he could sense Hermione was observing closely & quietly as if checking any hint of corruption and deceit from him.

"Tell me, are you planning to donate?" she asked him with an almost snappy tone.

He looked back at her reading her thoughts by her facial expression.

"Yes." Loki honestly answered her.

A look of certainly and satisfaction from Hermione's face passed as if she already knew that this would come to this kind of conversation.

Ofcourse someone rich as he was, foreign to their place would definitely want to put a couple of things here and there in order to enable him some favors.

"Well that's not surprising at all." Hermione said and this time there was no restraint in her cold tone.

"Really?" Loki said with a delightful expression. "You mean to tell me that you've guessed that my mother wants to donate to your sectors?"

Hermione opened her mouth for a prepared retort but what he said was obviously not what she had been expecting.

Her face changed and she looked back at him as if she had turned deaf for a moment and didn't catch what he had just said.

"Your mother, what?" she asked with an upturned expression. "Your mother is donating?"

"As I've said, she's passed on already." Loki patiently explained to her as he casually straightened up himself over his chair. "And in her will and testament, she wanted to donate a certain amount of her fortune onto a sector or government department that needed fund, some orphanage, library and etc, etc. I'm sure you get what I'm trying to look for here."

Hermione blinked and tried to avoid his gaze for a moment.

She was obviously ashamed of her front accusations towards the man.

She bit her lip considering and Loki already knew this mannerism so well.

He had her memorized from the moment they first really encountered one another.

"Was your mother born here at London?" she asked unable to find the right words to put out to him. "I mean, why would she do this?"

"She's not from here as I am." Loki answered her truthfully. "But she always had a heart for – let's say giving. You know, charity of sorts?"

Hermione looked back at him and there was something in his eyes that told her that there was something relevant he remembered but would not want to discuss at the moment.

"She likes doing charitable work?" Hermione repeated. "You mean, for others? Like doing something for the good and benefit of others?"

Loki looked back at her and for the first time, Hermione saw what looked like uncertainty and secrecy in his eyes.

It was like he was ashamed about something for a while.

"Yes." Loki simply answered then. "If that is how we may call it."

"But why not do it in your place? Your town?" she asked him. "I mean, I'm quite sure-"

"Our place has already received more than enough kindness and generosity from my mother. And she specified in her will that the fortune be taken elsewhere."

She looked back at him, considering the facts and putting things together.

He could sense how smart she was and how fast her mind was working around this statement of his.

"Is this why you're here at London then?" Hermione asked unable to restrain herself. "For this? I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry but that seemed-"

"Yes and no." Loki disrupted her gently. "Yes, partly as I found myself convinced that perhaps this is the place to do that. I could have done it anywhere else but here, I seem to have some reason to do it and I am assured that it would be handled with certain professionalism and caution and assurance that it would go to where it's supposed to be."

Hermione blushed as he sat back after gesturing his hand towards her.

"And no because?" she curiously asked.

This time, he only stared at her as if contemplating if he should answer it.

"I have another business, reason to be here." Loki said. "And that, I couldn't really discuss tonight."

He had added it as Hermione's eyes widened a little as she obviously wanted to ask about it.

Loki kept their conversations from books to coffee to dishes and their distillery back at his home and other things they've already talked about.

Hermione was too drank to recognize they were halfway onto the next bottle of wine and that they were mostly talking about her and not really more of him.

She had completely forgotten why she was there in the first place and it was Loki who seemed ready at the moment to listen what she had to say.

"You were saying?" he asked as the other dishes were taken away and they were served with a dessert that Hermione have never seen nor tasted in her whole life but that looked extremely delectable and sweet enough to earn.

"What? I'm sorry." Hermione said blinking away from the food that has been served before them.

Two tall and large glasses of what looked like icecream and pudding with jelly altogether and something glittery were spread all over the dessert with colours of vanilla, chocolate and cherry.

"This is a specialty as well." Loki said and before he could even continue, Hermione went for it.

She had always been conscious of her meals especially she came from two dentists but at that very moment, she didn't have a care in the world if it destroyed her almost perfect teeth fixed out of magic.

He looked pleased as Hermione took two spoonful of it.

The waft of coffee and chocolate came from the dessert.

He didn't touch his but he watched Hermione with ecstatic and hungry eyes.

"I'm sorry. This is terribly great..I mean.." Hermione said unable to moan at the taste of it. "I mean.. I'm sure you know what I'm trying to say."

Loki looked happiest at that very moment as he saw Hermione's genuine pleasure at what she was eating.

He smiled at her but he was a gentleman and he was patient.

It took Hermione another moment to finish what was in her mouth and quickly wiped whatever remained around her lips.

"Yes, sorry. It's very rare I get to taste sweet things."

"You will love other sweet things back at my mother's place."

She only smiled.

She wasn't sure if he meant well or if there was anything else in the words he had just said.

"So I was saying." Hermione said quickly changing the topic. "About.."

But she paused with a slight curl in her brow.

Now how was she supposed to tell him off into talking to her or seeing her at all when he actually had some good intention in him that could actually help her own department at the Ministry of Magic.

God knows how desperate they were for some funding in the department.

"Yes?" Loki gently said placing his elbows over the table and leaning forward as he rested his fine chin over his hands. "About..?"

Her eyes strayed back at him for a moment, quietly mesmerized into his physique and handsome expression.

Truth be told, he was indeed handsome and he had a good built as well.

Her mind worked hard for a split moment to find an excuse out of whatever it was she was really supposed to say anyway.

"About the Gala." Hermione quickly said. "You were the man who bought the Desiderata, yes?"

His eyes lit up but he nodded at her after a split moment too of contemplation.

"Yes, that was me." Loki answered her with the same passive smile and expression. "You remember."

"Who wouldn't?" Hermione said with a knowing smile. "You've pulled quite an amount there."

"I don't mean to sound rude, Hermione." Loki said with a slightly serious tone. "But I've been going to such places and if you didn't mention the jewel itself I would hardly remember which gala you are talking about. This is not something of a big deal. We get invitations from a daily basis. It's only ever so rare I get to sit-down like this and have some free time."

"And the time I saw you at the café." Hermione pointed out quickly remembering. "So you're telling me that these are the itinerary and things you do while you're in town?"

He gave her a wide smile and his hands moved gently around the table.

"You're smart." Loki said although he meant it as a compliment. "Very smart. Putting things two and two together?"

"I like solving things." Hermione said.

"But I am not a mystery to be solved, Hermione." Loki brightly said with that bit of air that annoyed Hermione from time to time. "I am as you see me but I do like your being feisty as I've said already."

"I'm sure you do." Hermione said haughtily. "And I'm sure you are as I see you."

"But by all means." Loki said leaning closer her towards the table and edging his hands towards her. "Ask me anything you want – absolutely anything – and I will answer you with all the truth and valor you would like to hear."

Hermione stared back at him, completely enthralled by his way of speaking and manners but she had enough for the night.

The wine was taking its toll in her head and she was feeling heady already.

"That's lovely, but it's getting a little late." Hermione had said with a nod in her head. "Thank you for this, I really appreciate it."

She began to push her chair from the table but Loki was quick.

He moved forward and helped her out of her seat as she half swayed from all the drinking and the sudden shift of position.

"You alright?" he asked her as he held her in his arms.

Hermione inhaled heavily as she could smell his scent from their close proximity and could tell how desirable his scent is .

She closed her eyes, trying to put her thoughts together before she does or say something inappropriate.

"Yes, but you see I need some space." Hermione said quickly moving herself away from his arms.

Loki nodded and quickly let a few inches from him although he was still standing on guard incase she loses her balance.

He smiled back at her.

"You're still uncomfortable around me, yes?" he asked her straightforward.

"Yes." Hermione said knowing that the wine was the one speaking with such honesty. "I don't mean to be rude but yes. One dinner wouldn't really remove that feeling, you know?" she said.

She had meant it to throw him off but it only seemed to feed more of his ego.

He gave her a wide smile.

"Perhaps some lunch? Brunch?" he asked her. "I could free any day this week for you-"

"That's not what I meant-" Hermione said panic rising inside her again. "This was – this had been nice but I'm not really-"

"Look, Hermione." Loki said standing straighter her and staring back at her with utmost look of admiration and glad. "I don't mean to be farfetched into weaving something out of thin air but I would tell you that this isn't the first nor last time we'd be doing this."

"I'm sorry?" Hermione asked him trying to focus her mind again and raising an eyebrow at his words. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"We'll be working together, yes?" Loki reminded her. "I'd sooner or later be going to your office and we'd work on the documents and whatever there is for the donation my mother would like to be put into good use. I don't really see myself talking for hours standing at some grand lobby of your government establishment, yes? I mean, sooner or later, we would get to sitdown again and talk, yes"

She looked back at him, trying to bite out some words to say but she didn't have any at the moment.

As much as he sounded conceited and using all these as an opportunity to get to her she knew that he was right.

Business deals and important meetings were either held at lunch or dinner conferences at Kingsley's main conference room back at the Ministry or outside the premises but at establishments such as large restaurants.

That certainly wasn't the first and last time they were going to dine together if she was up to getting some funds for her office department.

And she had to be honest with herself that she didn't tell him the real reason she wanted to meet because she had already decided herself to sacrifice some things in order to gain something for her department and the people who needed the fund that a certain Mr. Loki Laufeyson was offering her willingly.

"Right." Hermione said nodding at him just for the sake of agreeing to his airy self. "Got a point there. I'm not even going to argue anymore."

He quietly watched her move back to her chair to grab her small purse and then look up at him with beady eyes.

"It was nice time." she said with another friendly nod. "I guess I'll see you around?"

And before he could even react, she had waved herself a goodbye to him and began to walk away from the table with a slight sway in her pace.

He watched her back as she struggled to keep herself steady as she walked towards the double doors.

A smile was forming in his cheeky handsome face as he waited for her to stop walking.

And she did.

Hermione rolled her eyes and slowly turned back to him with a sharp inhale.

She knew she couldn't make it out of the restaurant without hitting the wall or hitting some waiter with a tray.

"Actually.." Hermione whispered slowly turning back to him. "I was just-"

"I was just thinking the very same thing." Loki's voice came to her head. "How about let's make it sooner than later?"

He had been quick to counter her movement as he had already been right behind her with all of him ready to assist her out of the restaurant.

Hermione looked up at her with a slightly open mouth and question in her eyes.

"Do you know any good coffee to steady yourself right back up?" he asked her with a mischievous grin over his face.

Whatever argument Hermione had in her heart was swept away by his looks and voice.

The way he looked at her, it was almost like he was already undressing her right then and there and because of the wine, she had no care in the world.

Up that close, he was indeed handsome alright, she was going to give him that.

But that thought will never escape her soul – ever.

"Actually, I do." Hermione said turning her gaze from him and back to the door. "I know a perfect place to get that coffee."

Loki smiled at her.

"Lead the way, my lady." Loki said with a large grin as he held her in his arms and with her slightly drunken self, Hermione let him touch her around the arms to lead and guide her out of the restaurant and into a place she has only ever been once with Harry who at the moment, was still waiting for her back at home.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Greetings!**_

 _ **Yes, yes my dear readers. I'm still very much alive.  
Been caught with a lot of sudden work and errands, gym and yoga schedule and classes, a couple of room renovation at home, replacing and updating work documents and ofcourse that lovely writer's block.**_

 _ **I had two weeks allergies as well and I could barely crawl out of bed. I'm getting better now though.**_

 _ **How's everyone?**_

 _ **Old readers, thanks for your patience.  
New readers, this is WIP and more to come.**_

 _ **Lots of love**_

 _ **xx**_

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Greetings!**_

 _ **Yes, yes my dear readers. I'm still very much alive.  
Been caught with a lot of sudden work and errands, gym and yoga schedule and classes, a couple of room renovation at home, replacing and updating work documents and ofcourse that lovely writer's block.**_

 _ **I had two weeks allergies as well and I could barely crawl out of bed. I'm getting better now though.**_

 _ **How's everyone?**_

 _ **Old readers, thanks for your patience.  
New readers, this is WIP and more to come.**_

 _ **Lots of love**_

 _ **xx**_

 _ **let me know what you think of the chapter!**_

 _ **Story is found at:**_

 _ ****_

 _ **A03**_

 _ **Chapter VII**_

 ** _Ministry Conference_**

 _"_ _Hello, Harry_." Hermione's slurring words greeted him by the doorway of her apartment at around half past two in the morning.

A man-servant so it would seem held her around the arms as they waited for Harry to open up the door as they rang the bell several times.

His footsteps were quick and it was so obvious that he had been up the whole night waiting for her.

His green eyes took a look at the man that held her and then back at Hermione who was smiling at her with beady eyes that told him everything he needed to know.

"Er – thanks." Harry said to the man as Hermione fell forward into his arms while the man gave him a look and left without a word.

But before Harry could even ask the man what exactly has happened, Hermione made a sound in her mouth and managed to mutter the word 'bathroom' and that alerted Harry what he had to do.

He kicked the door closed and dragged Hermione as fast as he could possibly carry her weighed and drunken form up into the second floor bathroom of her apartment.

He had barely managed to get her inside the bathroom when she waved at him to drop her and she literary crawled over the carpeted floor and into the lower sink where she managed start throwing up just on time.

Harry's eyes kept darting back at their entrance door where he had been thinking to check if the man was still there to ask several questions but thought better of it.

He stood by the door with arms crossed over his chest as he listened to the sounds Hermione was making as if her internal organs were struggling to crawl out of her.

Words were already forming inside his head on how he was going to start berating her about what she had done for the night and demand why she came home un the ungodly hours.

But he was Harry and she was Hermione so he stood by the doorway without a word, a towel at hand and a pair fresh of pajamas for her ten minutes later.

Hermione had been speaking what sounded like nonsense in between her bathroom business as she made about four absolute rounds in the bathroom.

"Are you about done?" Harry asked in a firm tone although he was secretly worried because it had been a long time since he had seen her this drank without the slightest care in the world.

Her mouth was damped and the ends of her hair was wet from the water's sink and the stench was giving Harry a headache.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione said with a sly smile as her blurry visions stared up at his figure by the door. "Nice to see you dropping by. You need anything?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her sleepy and tired smile as she struggled to close the faucet before her.

" _Bloody hell_." Harry muttered shaking his head and breathing heavily as he finally entered the bathroom and helped her out.

He patiently seated her up to the edge of her empty bathtub and rolled up his own pants and long-sleeves and patiently began to tend to Hermione.

He took time cleaning her hair and her arms with the hot compress and then took a while to clean her face with the towel because she kept telling him and or rather laughing her story out at him about her night.

He wasn't sure which he was most irritated about – her getting home in that state or her getting home finding out that she had been with that Loki Laufeyson the whole goddamn night.

Or perhaps both reason.

He had been clear into telling her what she had to do for the time she would meet him and that didn't seem to end well the way he had hoped for.

After cleaning her, Harry helped her inside the tub where he did only as far as loosened up the buttons and ties of her clothing and told her that he was going to open the shower warm and pour into her the moment she clears herself of her clothes so she can take a bath.

Hermione was still barely there and so without a choice and because he was also slightly irritated of what has happened, Harry opened up the shower and as it sprung to life.

Hermione's squeals never left him as it echoed all the way down the corridor of her room.

As the door closed and Harry dived away from the door, all he could hear were her merciless promise that he was going to pay for that one the moment she gets back onto her feet.

Irate as he was, Harry left the bathroom with quick steps and a laughing arse.

He could just hear Hermione cursing him off as she struggled with her clothes inside the tub while the water splashed out from the shower.

Harry laughed as he held in his hand the warm compress he used on her and the towel.

He took them downstairs to clear up in the kitchen and only when he was done there did he hear Hermione finish up in the bathroom and walked her way back into her room.

He cleared everything and washed his hands and decided to check on her.

"Hermione?" he asked as he reached her door. "I can sleep over or I can go home."

He knocked before opening the door and when he did so, she was already in her night gown and was squeezed under her thick blankets and large pillows.

"'Mione?" he whispered entering the room and moving towards her bed.

She was already dead tired and fast asleep.

He sighed heavily, both wonder and irritation ebbing away from him as he kissed her forehead and pulled the sheets over her.

He knew that she was tired and tired of the routinary life she had chosen for herself.

And he couldn't hate her for doing this tonight or any other night.

But he had to make sure that if this happens again, someone had to be responsible for it.

With a slightly disappointed and defeated heart tonight, Harry walked out of the room as quiet as he could to clear up the dinner that had been waiting for Hermione for hours in the kitchens that she was never going to be able to eat anyway.

 _"_ _Not a fucking word."_ Hermione warned Harry as she opened the door of her apartment.

She was in full Ministry Worker clothes, her work bag at the other hand and shades firmly placed over her swollen eyes filled with dark circles around the lids.

Harry stood by her apartment door with a small cup of coffee and bagel at the other hand.

He was smiling at her with all the memories of the previous night still fresh and intact from both of their minds.

"I didn't say anything." Harry said with a hint of amusement in his tone as he held her with her small bag while she placed the wards all over her apartment to secure it.

Hermione finished up and gave him a look from under her shades and grabbed her bag and the bagel from Harry's hand.

It was her hang-over comfort food on mornings like that and as irate as she was with Harry's expression, she was grateful that he never forgot to be the good friend despite of it all.

Harry followed her down the steps of her apartment and walked a few steps behind her while he tucked her bag under his arms and held her coffee in the other hand while she tried to quickly finish off her large bagel with butter and cream cheese as they both hurried for work.

"Am I allowed to ask later in the afternoon?" Harry asked him with a snigger in her tone.

"No." Hermione flatly said as she finished half her breakfast. "Not later, not tonight, _not ever."_

"Right." Harry quietly nodded at her knowing she would also reveal the night that was anyway. "So any luck in telling this Laufey off?"

"I told you I'm not in the mood to talk about it." Hermione said feeling the blush climb all the way to her face as the slow recollection of things and conversations she willingly exchanged with Mr. Loki Laufeyson.

The man was endearing and persuasive indeed and she was blatantly not ready for that kind of approach from a man.

He had Viktor Krum who had always been masculine outside but a certain gentleman, Ron had been insensitive and yet caring in a way, Harry was always sweet and warm but he always stood out as a very close friend.

She dated a wizard or two and they were always seemingly intimidated by her intelligence and place in the society that the relationship didn't really go anywhere and she found them, well – boring. .

But this Loki Laufeyson.

No, they weren't dating but his mind and his whole being seemed of a challenge to her.

He was a gentleman but he knew what he wanted and obviously knew how to get it or rather, how to get his way around it if his first try doesn't work.

And that was what made her even more curious about his personality.

He wasn't from town and he obviously didn't know her history as part of the Golden Trio that saved the whole Wizarding World and he certainly doesn't know the honors she graduated with at Hogwarts and that places him in a neutral position.

He couldn't jump onto conclusion about her nor judge her for he didn't knew her that well and in that way, Hermione knew that he'd be as blunt and as honest to her as he could possibly be.

And he was.

And that exactly was how he was picking her brains and attention altogether.

"Mr. Potter." an Auror quickly greeted them both as the lift opened up to the conference floor. "Goodmorning. And to you too, Miss Granger."

They both looked at the wizard who looked slightly harassed at early eight in the morning and was seemingly anticipating their arrival.

"Is everything alright?" Harry quickly asked seeing the man's expression and actions.

"Oh, yes." he replied. "But the Minister is looking for both of you."

"Both of us?" Hermione asked wondering what Kingsley may need her for.

Unless it was another emergency, the Ministry usually left things and details with Harry to be relied to her.

"Yes." the wizard replied. "A meeting is already being held at the main room. They're waiting for the both of you. Heads of Departments."

"But I didn't get a notice." Harry quickly said as they paced a little faster this time.

"Oh, no." the wizard said. "It was only this morning and it isn't exactly an emergency. The Minister only wanted all present Heads to be in the meeting. They've only just began. Breakfast and coffee are being served around."

"This is regarding what?" Hermione asked the wizard with slight irritation in her tone at being informed for something important as this early in the morning and yet there she was, forcibly dragging her hangover self to her workplace.

"Oh, well. I can't really discuss as I'm not sure of all the details. I'm sure you two will be filled in for all the details you need."

They stared at the wizard as they halted outside the double doors of the main hall.

They thanked him and Harry stared at Hermione, waiting for her to gather herself altogether for the meeting.

"You alright?" Harry concernedly asked her. "I can excuse you if need be."

" _Oh please, Harry Potter.."_ Hermione haughtily said removing her shades and pushing her hair behind her back and then straightening her uniform. "We've battled crazy, rode a dragon, travelled in time and don't forget we haunted down Horcruxes in the middle of nowhere. What exactly could I possibly not do at this very moment?"

Harry smiled back at her as they both soon found out leaving Hermione with wide eyes and a dry mouth.

Harry had turned the knobs and opened the door for the two of them only to find themselves to be greeted by a room filled with Ministry Department Heads and the Ministery of Magic himself talking and seemingly enjoying his conversation with a formally dressed looking Mr. Loki Laufeyson whose eyes slowly turned up the door to greet Hermione's as if he knew that she was about to arrive, greeting her with expressive eyes as if they shared a secret that the rest of the people in the room knew not.

 _ **let me know what you think of the chapter!**_

 _ **Story is found at:**_

 _ ****_

 _ **A03**_

 _ **Chapter VII**_

 ** _Ministry Conference_**

 _"_ _Hello, Harry_." Hermione's slurring words greeted him by the doorway of her apartment at around half past two in the morning.

A man-servant so it would seem held her around the arms as they waited for Harry to open up the door as they rang the bell several times.

His footsteps were quick and it was so obvious that he had been up the whole night waiting for her.

His green eyes took a look at the man that held her and then back at Hermione who was smiling at her with beady eyes that told him everything he needed to know.

"Er – thanks." Harry said to the man as Hermione fell forward into his arms while the man gave him a look and left without a word.

But before Harry could even ask the man what exactly has happened, Hermione made a sound in her mouth and managed to mutter the word 'bathroom' and that alerted Harry what he had to do.

He kicked the door closed and dragged Hermione as fast as he could possibly carry her weighed and drunken form up into the second floor bathroom of her apartment.

He had barely managed to get her inside the bathroom when she waved at him to drop her and she literary crawled over the carpeted floor and into the lower sink where she managed start throwing up just on time.

Harry's eyes kept darting back at their entrance door where he had been thinking to check if the man was still there to ask several questions but thought better of it.

He stood by the door with arms crossed over his chest as he listened to the sounds Hermione was making as if her internal organs were struggling to crawl out of her.

Words were already forming inside his head on how he was going to start berating her about what she had done for the night and demand why she came home un the ungodly hours.

But he was Harry and she was Hermione so he stood by the doorway without a word, a towel at hand and a pair fresh of pajamas for her ten minutes later.

Hermione had been speaking what sounded like nonsense in between her bathroom business as she made about four absolute rounds in the bathroom.

"Are you about done?" Harry asked in a firm tone although he was secretly worried because it had been a long time since he had seen her this drank without the slightest care in the world.

Her mouth was damped and the ends of her hair was wet from the water's sink and the stench was giving Harry a headache.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione said with a sly smile as her blurry visions stared up at his figure by the door. "Nice to see you dropping by. You need anything?"

Harry rolled his eyes at her sleepy and tired smile as she struggled to close the faucet before her.

" _Bloody hell_." Harry muttered shaking his head and breathing heavily as he finally entered the bathroom and helped her out.

He patiently seated her up to the edge of her empty bathtub and rolled up his own pants and long-sleeves and patiently began to tend to Hermione.

He took time cleaning her hair and her arms with the hot compress and then took a while to clean her face with the towel because she kept telling him and or rather laughing her story out at him about her night.

He wasn't sure which he was most irritated about – her getting home in that state or her getting home finding out that she had been with that Loki Laufeyson the whole goddamn night.

Or perhaps both reason.

He had been clear into telling her what she had to do for the time she would meet him and that didn't seem to end well the way he had hoped for.

After cleaning her, Harry helped her inside the tub where he did only as far as loosened up the buttons and ties of her clothing and told her that he was going to open the shower warm and pour into her the moment she clears herself of her clothes so she can take a bath.

Hermione was still barely there and so without a choice and because he was also slightly irritated of what has happened, Harry opened up the shower and as it sprung to life.

Hermione's squeals never left him as it echoed all the way down the corridor of her room.

As the door closed and Harry dived away from the door, all he could hear were her merciless promise that he was going to pay for that one the moment she gets back onto her feet.

Irate as he was, Harry left the bathroom with quick steps and a laughing arse.

He could just hear Hermione cursing him off as she struggled with her clothes inside the tub while the water splashed out from the shower.

Harry laughed as he held in his hand the warm compress he used on her and the towel.

He took them downstairs to clear up in the kitchen and only when he was done there did he hear Hermione finish up in the bathroom and walked her way back into her room.

He cleared everything and washed his hands and decided to check on her.

"Hermione?" he asked as he reached her door. "I can sleep over or I can go home."

He knocked before opening the door and when he did so, she was already in her night gown and was squeezed under her thick blankets and large pillows.

"'Mione?" he whispered entering the room and moving towards her bed.

She was already dead tired and fast asleep.

He sighed heavily, both wonder and irritation ebbing away from him as he kissed her forehead and pulled the sheets over her.

He knew that she was tired and tired of the routinary life she had chosen for herself.

And he couldn't hate her for doing this tonight or any other night.

But he had to make sure that if this happens again, someone had to be responsible for it.

With a slightly disappointed and defeated heart tonight, Harry walked out of the room as quiet as he could to clear up the dinner that had been waiting for Hermione for hours in the kitchens that she was never going to be able to eat anyway.

 _"_ _Not a fucking word."_ Hermione warned Harry as she opened the door of her apartment.

She was in full Ministry Worker clothes, her work bag at the other hand and shades firmly placed over her swollen eyes filled with dark circles around the lids.

Harry stood by her apartment door with a small cup of coffee and bagel at the other hand.

He was smiling at her with all the memories of the previous night still fresh and intact from both of their minds.

"I didn't say anything." Harry said with a hint of amusement in his tone as he held her with her small bag while she placed the wards all over her apartment to secure it.

Hermione finished up and gave him a look from under her shades and grabbed her bag and the bagel from Harry's hand.

It was her hang-over comfort food on mornings like that and as irate as she was with Harry's expression, she was grateful that he never forgot to be the good friend despite of it all.

Harry followed her down the steps of her apartment and walked a few steps behind her while he tucked her bag under his arms and held her coffee in the other hand while she tried to quickly finish off her large bagel with butter and cream cheese as they both hurried for work.

"Am I allowed to ask later in the afternoon?" Harry asked him with a snigger in her tone.

"No." Hermione flatly said as she finished half her breakfast. "Not later, not tonight, _not ever."_

"Right." Harry quietly nodded at her knowing she would also reveal the night that was anyway. "So any luck in telling this Laufey off?"

"I told you I'm not in the mood to talk about it." Hermione said feeling the blush climb all the way to her face as the slow recollection of things and conversations she willingly exchanged with Mr. Loki Laufeyson.

The man was endearing and persuasive indeed and she was blatantly not ready for that kind of approach from a man.

He had Viktor Krum who had always been masculine outside but a certain gentleman, Ron had been insensitive and yet caring in a way, Harry was always sweet and warm but he always stood out as a very close friend.

She dated a wizard or two and they were always seemingly intimidated by her intelligence and place in the society that the relationship didn't really go anywhere and she found them, well – boring. .

But this Loki Laufeyson.

No, they weren't dating but his mind and his whole being seemed of a challenge to her.

He was a gentleman but he knew what he wanted and obviously knew how to get it or rather, how to get his way around it if his first try doesn't work.

And that was what made her even more curious about his personality.

He wasn't from town and he obviously didn't know her history as part of the Golden Trio that saved the whole Wizarding World and he certainly doesn't know the honors she graduated with at Hogwarts and that places him in a neutral position.

He couldn't jump onto conclusion about her nor judge her for he didn't knew her that well and in that way, Hermione knew that he'd be as blunt and as honest to her as he could possibly be.

And he was.

And that exactly was how he was picking her brains and attention altogether.

"Mr. Potter." an Auror quickly greeted them both as the lift opened up to the conference floor. "Goodmorning. And to you too, Miss Granger."

They both looked at the wizard who looked slightly harassed at early eight in the morning and was seemingly anticipating their arrival.

"Is everything alright?" Harry quickly asked seeing the man's expression and actions.

"Oh, yes." he replied. "But the Minister is looking for both of you."

"Both of us?" Hermione asked wondering what Kingsley may need her for.

Unless it was another emergency, the Ministry usually left things and details with Harry to be relied to her.

"Yes." the wizard replied. "A meeting is already being held at the main room. They're waiting for the both of you. Heads of Departments."

"But I didn't get a notice." Harry quickly said as they paced a little faster this time.

"Oh, no." the wizard said. "It was only this morning and it isn't exactly an emergency. The Minister only wanted all present Heads to be in the meeting. They've only just began. Breakfast and coffee are being served around."

"This is regarding what?" Hermione asked the wizard with slight irritation in her tone at being informed for something important as this early in the morning and yet there she was, forcibly dragging her hangover self to her workplace.

"Oh, well. I can't really discuss as I'm not sure of all the details. I'm sure you two will be filled in for all the details you need."

They stared at the wizard as they halted outside the double doors of the main hall.

They thanked him and Harry stared at Hermione, waiting for her to gather herself altogether for the meeting.

"You alright?" Harry concernedly asked her. "I can excuse you if need be."

" _Oh please, Harry Potter.."_ Hermione haughtily said removing her shades and pushing her hair behind her back and then straightening her uniform. "We've battled crazy, rode a dragon, travelled in time and don't forget we haunted down Horcruxes in the middle of nowhere. What exactly could I possibly not do at this very moment?"

Harry smiled back at her as they both soon found out leaving Hermione with wide eyes and a dry mouth.

Harry had turned the knobs and opened the door for the two of them only to find themselves to be greeted by a room filled with Ministry Department Heads and the Ministery of Magic himself talking and seemingly enjoying his conversation with a formally dressed looking Mr. Loki Laufeyson whose eyes slowly turned up the door to greet Hermione's as if he knew that she was about to arrive, greeting her with expressive eyes as if they shared a secret that the rest of the people in the room knew not.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Notes:**_

 _ **I'm back!**_

 _ **Sorry it took a while. Work and writer's block had hit me and I barely had time and head enough to be put together to make a chapter.**_

 _ **Hope everyone else is well. Halfway through the week and I hope to make another chapter up soon.**_

 _ **All my stories are now available at:**_

 _ **A03**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **see you there!**_

 _ **comments are most welcome**_

 _ **xx**_

 ** _Chapter VIII_**

 ** _The Bifrost Project_**

For the past hour, Hermione sat as still and as quiet as she could possibly be in her seat along the long conference table as the meeting took place.

Harry sat next to her, conversing and sharing his own opinions and ideas about the day's meeting while he continued to ignore her change of attitude at the meeting.

Usually, Hermione was one of the most active person at the table with so much ideas, opinions and corrections to share over the table. And today, she was acting like she was some newbie secretary of Harry Potter who had barely said a word since the doors closed for the meeting.

Breakfast and coffee were laid out and she had barely touched her own serving and had kept her face hidden behind her long locks and the copy of the itinerary and coverage of the meeting today as if she was trying to memorize each word.

Harry wouldn't say a word about it but he was so sure that it was because of the handsome man at the table before them who was proposing some sort of business for the Ministry and the society for which the heads of departments and the Minister of Magic himself found as a good idea.

Harry listened and stared respectively at the man who shared his own ideas at the table with such confidence and formality for the people around him.

He spoke like a leader and the excitement in his tone told Harry that he seemed to be sure that their government would be accepting his proposal at some sort of business idea for which the lower class of their share of the world would be able to be put into good use.

Harry asked several questions and placed out his opinion for which this Mr. Loki Laufeyson seemed very much prepared to answer with such confidence in his tone.

Hermione sat quietly next to Harry, pretending to read what was in her hands but all the while sinking in her own thoughts on what the man was doing there and was wondering if she was to be embarrassed incase he tells them of their little 'on going party' the other night.

She was the only girl at the table by now as the other two elder women who were heads of different departments left by the first half hour out of a meeting they had to attend to – but Hermione had a hunch that they were just going to get some croissant and pasta at the café across the building.

She was the only woman left then at the table whose opinion seemed not to matter as usual until it was Loki himself who called up her attention to seek her opinion.

"Miss Granger?" the Minister's voice echoed for the nth time somewhere in the room.

"I'm sorry." Hermione quickly said putting the folder down the table as Harry kicked her under the table and gave her a look.

Everyone was staring back at her as if she was some oddball with a dirt over her face and that one that didn't belong there at all.

She tried her best to look and remain composed and tried not to look at Loki but he had called her again and sat straighter over his chair, leaning closer the table to gain her attention.

"Mr. Laufeyson just asked you a question, Miss Granger." The Minister had said clearly and with a hint of ' _if you can't be here today miss granger please leave'_ kind of tone.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Hermione said forcing out a smile and forcing her head to momentarily turn at the man's direction without having to look so nervous nor conscious at the same time. "I was reading something. I didn't mean to-"

"So what do you think?" Loki asked her with a gleam of smile over his face as he moved closer the table leaning over both his arms to get a closer view of her. "About the proposal?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and kept the smile over her face wanting to ask again what the proposal was because she had absolutely not been paying attention at all.

"Proposal.." Hermione slowly said with the same painful smile now as she lowered her elbows over the table looking around for someone to hint her on what was being talked about.

"Mr. Laufeyson proposes an ideal business in regards of putting up a business for women that will help the lower classes, Hermione." Harry slowly said in a tone that wouldn't embarrass her or let them know that she wasn't paying attention at all. "The Bifrost Project – one that will open very soon."

Hermione gave Harry a grateful look and stared down at the small poster flyer he handed her.

It showed of nothing but what looked like a winter photograph and then jewelries or rather expensive looking diamonds over the picture.

How was this exactly going to help?

Hermione opened her mouth to ask it as she looked up at Loki but he seemed to have read her mind.

"My family owns a diamond mine." he proudly said as if it was the best thing in the world that you can have. "A certain amount may be donated to start up business for women in your government."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said getting her senses back. "Diamonds? This is luxury. I don't think women of the lower class society can afford this."

"Not afford, Miss Granger." Loki corrected her. "Half would be donated as business deals and half would be transfigured as amount already in finance to put up businesses and establishments for the lower class. In that way, two sides of the society can earn and progress. As a woman of your class and society, we ask _your_ opinion."

Hermione stared at him unsure of what her opinion could be.

She had never met anyone who was willing to donate diamonds for businesses for the progress of another class, let alone the lower class.

She wasn't sure what to make out of this person and was unsure what his intentions really were because it were all bizarre and unbelievable.

Hermione opened her mouth to ask him if this was part of what the will and testament of his mother was but held herself last minute because questions would be asked on where she got the idea and they would know that she already previously went out with this man.

"Well?" Loki voiced out interrupting her thoughts again. "What is your opinion?"

Hermione stared at him and despite that he wore a poker face in front of everyone, she knew that behind that smile was the thought that he was very amused to see her right now.

"Well, I _don't_ think this is a good idea." Hermione clearly said gathering herself altogether.

 _"_ _I'm sorry?"_ Loki asked her with a clear hint of irritation in his voice but it didn't show in his face and he quickly regained himself. "Can you clarify your statement?"

"Clarify my statement?" Hermione repeated with sarcasm in her tone as she looked back at him while she started to feel annoyed by the man.

"Yes." Loki replied sitting straighter. "You seem not to understand what was being talked about here, Miss Granger. Do you want me to repeat my proposal whereas you can _now fully pay attention to it_?"

"I'm sorry?" Hermione loudly asked him with a raised brow and curling her hands into fists over the table. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's not supposed to mean anything." Loki replied with a smile. "I'm only proposing I repeat everything I told you because you don't seem interested enough or rather, gathered enough senses this morning to pay attention to it."

She stared wordlessly back at him in silence and she knew that everyone's avidly staring at her and Harry next to her was trying to gain her attention by reaching over her arm gently under the table.

"Hermione-" she felt him clasped her gently around the arm, pressing his fingers lightly pressing.

Loki sat opposite her, staring quietly at her with all attention focused only on her and wearing an expression that told her that he needed to know his place around the room.

"No, Harry." Hermione said shoving his hand away and now pulling her chair closer the table that her abdomen tightly already rested at the edge of the table. "First of all, you listen to me – I was paying attention."

The temperature around the room felt heating up and the heads of the departments were staring at Hermione as if she had lost her mind.

Loki stared at her, clearly amused as he leaned away from the table and crossed his arms over his chest and looking up at her without a blink.

"Not because I got distracted meant I wasn't clearly paying attention to you." Hermione said in a clear and loud tone enough for the whole room to hear her out. "You can have my opinion without having to say any side comments about me or how I work or listen to guests around here."

"Pray tell then." Loki answered her gently raising and lifting a hand at his side where a Ministry head seemed to want to interrupt to cool down the tension. "Let's hear it out then, Miss Granger."

There was challenge both in his tone and in his gaze.

But if there was anything Hermione was good at, it was at multitasking and despite that she wasn't clearly paying a full attention, she did hear everything he had said out of her habit of listening closely to someone else while she focused onto something else back at school – a good example was in her Potions Class where she would be brewing a potion and paying very close attention into all the details all the while Snape talked and tattled all the hours in the dungeons as they all progressed.

"I think it's not a good idea." Hermione stated clearly now without a halt on her opinion over their guest. "Why would you put up a business that is all about luxury and glory? This isn't even a necessity and you expect the society to buy it and help the lower class? How is that going to be? It's not something people would need in their daily lives-"

"Exactly." Loki interrupted her with a gleam of smile as if she was getting his point. "But there are more than one or two luxurious person in any government and society who could buy one jewelry and match up or even surpass one business that will help one individual. Why go help one individual the usual way when I can gather and help ten or more of them in just one purchase?"

A stark look on Hermione's face told the room that she was going to find a loophole over this plan of his and won't have him have the last word.

"Really?" Hermione said. "I don't think so. I think there are other businesses that could possibly do that as well – as I've said, it's not a necessity –"

"If you would excuse me, Miss Granger." Loki answered her. "But not because it's not a necessity for you would also mean it isn't for other women or other people of your society-"

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked as she now stood up over the table with arms folded and staring back down at Loki in a dueling stance. "And what is that now supposed to mean?"

Harry was trying to pull her back down over her chair as everyone else stared at Hermione as if she had grown extra heads.

Hermione was barely ever mad at anyone but Harry knew that when she was annoyed and mad or moreso – corrected over her own opinion – one would see her worst side.

"It's not meant to mean anything." Loki said. "I'm clearly stating that not everyone would have shared this opinion of yours that the Bifrost Project is merely some luxurious penance for some-"

 _"_ _Listen to me."_ Hermione said in a demanding tone. "Not because you've been raised with a golden spoon shoved down your throat would mean that everyone else can be entitled to the same thing and have the same ideals as you have. Your Bifrost Project proposes nothing but inequality and raising more luxury to the entitled and less or nothing for those who are not privileged enough to afford all these jewelry that you want to bring and sell in my government. "

"I think as a leader of our own government, I do know and understand that opinion of yours-"

"Oh yeah?" Hermione sarcastically asked him with a raised brow as she folded her arms over her chest again. "Looks to me like you've just been spoiled by your parents and now you've been given enough to sell out what is yours to be expanded for your sake and not anyone elses's-"

"I think you're stepping out of the line, Miss Granger. I am proposing a business here that will give –"

"No, you wanna know what I think?" Hermione asked him with complete irritation in her tone. "I think that you're just some brat who had been shoved with royalty all your life thinking you know the life of the people out there when you actually don't. So I suggest you pay close attention to what _your brother_ may be teaching you-"

 _That was it._

Hermione had hit home based and Loki now obviously looked furious than anything else that she has ever said to him since the argument began.

She had triggered something in that last sentence and now all composure and formality faded from Loki's physique.

He moved closer the table and stared at her as if ready to strike her.

"Listen to me – you mere mortal – my brother-"

"Oh please, I'm all ears to you – I'm here paying very close attention to-"

" _ENOUGH!_ " the Minister of Magic had stood up from the head table and was staring down at Hermione with disbelieving eyes.

Loki stood straight, pulling his clothes down straight but keeping his eyes over at Hermione.

"I think Mr. Potter you should escort and excuse Miss Granger from this room." the Minister clearly said. "She may be feeling slightly unwell this morning. We can resume this topic and meeting some other time when Miss Granger is feeling better."

"But I wasn't-"

"I think Mr. Potter that Miss Grange needs some fresh air or maybe another croissant at the cafe downstairs-"

A smile appeared over Loki's eyes and Hermione knew that she would be dealt with later by the Minister.

She stared back at him with hatred in her eyes as she felt Harry move by her side, pushing his chair out from the table and grabbing both their cloaks and her scarf from her chair as he tried to reach out for her hand.

"I don't see any charity from this Bifrost Project you're proposing."

"It's not charity, Miss Granger." Loki explained to her with a gesture of his hand. "I never said it's something for charity. I am proposing a business where classes may progress together – by teaching and helping them with a better work and ethics area-"

"I don't think my people are lazy-"

"Your people aren't lazy." Loki corrected her with a smile. "I _never_ said they were. But they can be more – each individual can be more if you teach them to use their full potential no matter the class they are under in the society-"

"I'm telling you-"

And then Loki pulled out a thin stack of documents from the table and threw it gently across the table towards her.

Hermione's eyes moved to it and then she stared back at her.

"If you would pay attention to my proposal you would understand that this argument is invalid and worth neither of our time."

Hermione stared at him with shaking fists and down at the folders he threw at her direction.

She stared back up at him and knew that she had reached his patience or its edge at the least.

"The Bifrost Project proposes it sells out its luxury to the higher class of the society – but the man power and the team that would lead onto this wouldn't be somewhere from this class but somewhere lower but are able to work – half the earnings would go to certain charitable departments and causes that your Minister here has kindly enlisted and proposed –"

"And the mining?" Hermione asked him with a flustered look growing in her face. "This calls for that sort of manpower. Don't tell me that you've got it all stocked and stashed in your little palace-"

"But ofcourse, they are." Loki casually answered her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "All these that I am about to donate in proposal of my business have been well-thought of. If you were paying attention at the beginning, you would have heard me explain that all the diamonds and gems have come from a fare share that has been exclusively and securely kept for long and ready to be put into good use."

Hermione opened her mouth but no words came out.

She then remembered what he told her earlier on about the business and wealth his mother wanted to donate as part of her will.

Could this be part of it?

Hermione blinked and stared at him as he smiled back at her.

Everyone was staring at the both of them and she could just feel them judging only her.

Loki leaned over the table and moved the folder at her side of the table with a curt nod over his head.

"Again, if you would read this and pay close attention into it, you would understand in full detail what I'm trying to tell you and this whole table for the past two hours."

Hermione was fuming in anger by this point and Harry was sure that they had to leave by now or Loki would most likely be left injured later if Hermione decides to hex him.

Still as she was, Hermione remained standing and staring.

Loki knew that he already got her full attention to him and that she was unlikely to forget or ignore him now.

He smiled at her and gestured his hand towards the folder and back at her.

"Should you have any question, you can easily have me found." Loki said with a gleeful smile as if he had just won some game. "You can ask me or we can have it discussed over drinks or something? What do you think?"

Hermione stared back at him eyes wide at his smile and at what he had just told her.

He was obviously trying her out, testing her patience and mocking her for what has previously happened between the two of them.

"No, thanks." Hermione angrily said with eyes narrowed and unblinking towards his direction as she began grabbing the folder from the table and her scarf from Harry's had. "I don't drink."

And with that, she angrily stalked out of the conference room with Harry unknowing what to do right behind her.

Footsteps echoed and the door was banged shut and Loki stared over the table and before the people with a smile still on his face.

"No." Loki amusedly said turning to Harry who was halfway at the door. "She's not the drinking type, is she?"

Harry looked back at her, not really knowing what to tell him.

He was as stunned as everyone else in the room for Hermione's actions towards a guest in a meeting but at the same time, he wasn't sure anymore what to think of this very man that he knew only because of all the stories that Hermione had been telling him.

 _"_ _Have you completely lost your mind?"_ Harry asked her for the nth time as they settled in a restaurant two hours later after Hermione's little dramatic exit.

"No." Hermione stubbornly replied. "I'm not going to apologize to that douchebag."

"Hermione, he's a guest in our place and he is about to donate money to charities you so care about."

Hermione gave him a look.

"That gives him a right to step on people?"

"He's not stepping on anyone."

"Didn't you hear what he just said at the table?"

"He had a good proposal." Harry reasoned with her. "He only stepped on your ego."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but Harry raised his brow.

She knew that he was right.

But she wasn't going to let him with it.

"I don't care." Hermione simply spat at him as she took her cup and took a sip from the hot chocolate. "I told you he's not a nice man."

"He doesn't have to be nice." Harry pointed out. "You only need to be respective enough for him so we can gain what he has to offer."

"He doesn't differ from Malfoy!" Hermione angrily answered him with a vicious glare.

Harry stared at her knowing that it wasn't right for her to say.

The man may be boastful and had an air about him but he didn't think he was anywhere like the Malfoys.

"I think you need a time out." Harry gently told her sitting back over his chair.

"You're telling me I need to take a vacation?"

"I'm telling you that you shouldn't go to work for a day or two." Harry told her. "Just to cool things down at the Ministry. I don't think Kingsley will be kind to you if you return too soon-"

"Are you telling me that it's my fault?" Hermione asked him straight out with a flare over her nose. "Are you telling me that-"

"He's telling you that you need to cool down." a low and smooth voice came.

They both looked up at the table and Loki stood there with a smile over his face.

He gently placed a thin black book over the table and nodded towards it.

 _"_ _My full proposal and itinerary of my stay here, Miss Granger."_

"I don't need that." Hermione snapped at him now without any restrain of attitude since they weren't in the government premises. "Why are you here?"

"I would like to show you that I mean well in my business in your society."

"We are doing well, thanks very much." Hermione snottily said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

She stared up at him while he glared down at her with a proud look over his face.

Uninvited, he pulled up a chair for him to sit down and Harry only gently gestured at Hermione.

He wanted to say that they very much needed what the man had to offer because god knows that some of the departments and charities needed funding especially the infrastructures that needed funding after all the damage from the war.

"I mean well, Miss Granger if you would just let me and give me a chance to help you out." Loki insistently said as he stared from her then at Harry and then back.

Harry stared at him with silence but with certain attention into detail at the way the man talked and moved before them.

By far, he had no reason to draw his wand out at the man as he proposed no alarming action towards or against them.

Hermione stared at him at his offer then at the folder by the table.

"I don't need your help." Hermione said grabbing it over. "But I'll look into this. I don't want you filtering wrong things into my own government just cause you couldn't do it on your own."

He smiled then and then he laughed – a hoarse and high kind of laugh that drew a bit of attention from the other tables.

He looked at her as if he had never seen anyone with such defiance before.

"I'm very reasonable, Miss Granger." Loki said and he nodded at Harry. "If I invite you into a dinner or so would you be ever so kind to give me a chance to explain things to you?"

"And so to give you another chance to be rude to me?" Hermione lashed at him. "No, thanks."

"Hermione." Harry warningly said knowing that Hermione wasn't being reasonable this time. "Maybe we can listen to what he has to say."

"Now there's a good lad." Loki happily said with an accent to his word. "What say you, Miss Granger?"

He looked at her, an inviting and challenging glare from his eyes.

She could tell that this was more than dinner and that he was goading her into something else.

And out of spite or just being proud, Hermione knew that sooner or later she'd accept it.

And she wasn't sure if she doesn't want to anymore.

Loki moved closer the table and gestured her hand invitingly across them both.

"Bring Mr. Potter – yes?" he asked remembering Harry's name from the meeting. "You two can have dinner with me. Where do you want so I can make the arrangements needed for it."

Hermione looked at Harry across the table whose 'yes' was already written across his face.

"How about we owl you?" Harry proposed at him.

He looked at her in a peculiar way and Harry had to correct and clarify himself.

"We'll send you a message." Harry quickly said. "I'm sure it would reach you. Once we are ready to sit-down talk with you on this one."

Loki stared at him, willing to take the offer than nothing.

He looked back at Hermione who was still staring at him with all the disgust in her veins.

He could just read her mind and a name of some sort keep appearing inside her mind's eyes.

His eyes gleamed as he stared back at her and then he nodded.

"I hope you give me this chance, Miss Granger." Loki invitingly told him as he prepared to leave. "I'm not sure what you're really thinking of but I tell you that I am by far different from all the other elitist that brilliant mind of yours is tinkering with."

"I'm not –"

"Yes, you are." Loki interrupted her with a knowing smile. "I'm not some sort of proud, spoiled heir as you would think of me or you are being reminded of."

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

How did he know that she was thinking of Draco Malfoy?

He gently moved out of his chair and nodded at them both.

"If there's anything I have to say I'm proud of is that I may have grown up in a place that seemed so gallant and royal, yet I grew up all those years living every single day of my life working my mind and body day and out to prove that I am worth something. Please don't easily judge me for what my name brings or where you think I am from."

Hermione swallowed hard because she could tell that he was telling the truth and all that was holier than thou gentleman act was gone by now.

She had definitely hit a nerve right there earlier today.

"I didn't say-"

"No, you didn't." Loki said standing up and straightening his black suit as he gestured nod and a gentle smile at them both. "But I pay very close attention and you were thinking it. Good day to you both."

And with that, he turned and left them both leaving Hermione feeling worse than she had after the hangover she had just gone through that morning.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes:** **Greetings!** **Finally, I am able to write this one short chapter for everyone.  
I'm about to upload at the other websites.** **As said before, all my stories are found at the ff:** **A03**

 ******How was your valentine's day at your end of the world? I had a good one. Tell me about yours.** **Busy week and my writer's block are slowly coming off and I hope it does because I am absolutely not getting much work done these past days.** **Hope all is well with everyone.** **Can't wait for the weekend even though I'd be busy as hell as well.** **xx**

 ** _Chapter IX_**

 ** _Café Verona_**

 _"_ _Please don't tell me I'm feeling guilty._ " Hermione groaned at Harry as she stopped by his office to check up if he was ready for their lunch out.

"You _should_ feel guilty." Harry told her as he folded parchments away and kept them inside his desk drawers.

Hermione sighed heavily as she entered feeling worse than she had been since the conference meeting.

It has been four quiet days since she has encountered Loki Laufeyson and the guilt inside of her was growing like some monster slowly eating her up.

"Is Kingsley still mad?" Hermione asked as she slumped against Harry's large and fluffy couch in his office.

"Oh he's not mad." Harry gently told her with a knowing smile. "But he thinks that you should still take some time out."

She groaned again and buried her face in one of the comfortable square pillows.

"Time out?" Hermione repeated rolling her eyes. "What am I, seven?"

Harry smirked at her as he continued to clear his things away.

"You haven't heard from him?" Harry asked her.

"No." Hermione said in a muffled voice as she kept her face over the fluffy pillow. "Not a fucking word from that stalker."

"Oh, wow. _Now he's a stalker."_ Harry laughed at her. "Should you be glad that he's not around, not a word or face in sight?"

Hermione removed the pillow from her face and stared up at Harry.

"That's the point." Hermione muttered rolling her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "You miss him stalking you?"

"Ofcourse not." she quickly snapped at him. "I mean, there's no word on or from him. No-nothing. And if that remains, Kingsley will think that I've messed up big time and he may remain mad at me."

"Again, Hermione, Kingsley isn't mad at you." Harry seriously reasoned to her pausing his packing away and sitting at the edge of his desk.

"But he thinks I've messed up." Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, he does." Harry said. "So he advises a time out from you."

"But I am very well and I do not fucking need a time out." Hermione said looking considerably moody back at him. "Should I owl him?"

"Laufey-guy?"

 _"_ _Laufeyson."_ Hermione corrected. "And yes, him."

Harry shook his head.

"I don't think there's a need. He's a guy." Harry said. "He'll get over it."

"But I offended him." Hermione said with a furrowed brow.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you went bantering on about him in front of everyone."

Her eyes narrowed.

"You're not helping."

"I'm telling you what you need to do and what's what and not."

She stared up at him not knowing what to say.

She surely offended the man because she knew that he was supposed to meet the Minister and some of the officials for the Bifrost project and there is still absolutely no word from the man to anyone at the Ministry of Magic in regards on setting up a meeting.

"It's bad, isn't it?"

"Maybe." Harry said looking concerned now about her. "Look, don't sweat it. He's a guy. He may have been offended but he'll get over it easily. He'll come around. Besides, the Ministry isn't the only trip he has so I'm quite sure he's just busy. I've seen his itinerary and he has a lot on his plate."

"You've seen his itinerary?!" Hermione gaped out loud with eyes wide.

"Yes." Harry casually said as he finished packing his things. "He gave a calendar plate for it so we can adjust to the meetings he is only ever available and ofcourse- what?"

Harry stopped and asked as Hermione's eyes went virally wide and she walked quickly towards him.

He looked at her and even without a word, he already knew what she was thinking.

Harry shook his head already knowing the smile that was slowly spreading across her face as she inched herself closer him, giving him the kindest of gleam in her eyes.

 _"_ _No, Hermione."_ Harry said quickly moving away from her.

"Oh, come on!" Hermione argued with him as she halted him from walking away from her. "It's just a stupid planner-"

"No." Harry warned her. "It's a Ministry memo now and I can't show you that-"

"I'm _part_ of the Bifrost Project-"

"Not according to Kingsley until you've gathered yourself together-"

"Oh, come on, Harry!" Hermione groaned at him. "It's just a list of his to-do. Come show it to me-"

"First of all, it's his private and business itinerary and you have absolutely no business in regards to it-"

"Oh really-"

"Secondly, I don't have it, so even if I wanted to show it to you, I can't."

"But where is it?"

"I have no idea-"

"Where is it?" Hermione asked again blocking him from moving away.

"I've got bloody no idea-"

"WHERE IS IT, HARRY?" she asked in a gentle yet a tone full of warning as her eyes settled on him alone.

He looked at her and blinked.

And Hermione already knew that he was lying to her.

They stared at one another and one blink once more from Harry already told Hermione where it was.

Within a moment, they were both screaming at one another and scrambling onto their feet as Hermione ran as fast as she could to the next room of his office where a small desk drawer could be found with all of Harry's important documents.

"Bloody hell, the man is rich." Hermione made a commentary as they sat over a late lunch while she ran page after another of Loki Laufeyson's itinerary on the calendar plate.

It was a small, thin notebook copy of all the things he had been planning to do for which was given to Harry and the rest of the people who were manning the Bifrost Project.

"I'm sure that interests you." Harry said as he rolled his eyes and drank half the glass of beer he had ordered from the restaurant they were having their lunch.

Hermione had barely touched her steak as she flipped through the small pages of the calendar plate.

"Hermione, if Kingsley finds out that I've showed this to you-"

"Oh, come off it." Hermione said without looking up at him and brushing his hand away. "I'm just trying to memorize everything that is in here-"

"Memorize?" Harry asked her.

"Well, are you going to let me borrow and keep it for a while?" she asked excitedly, eyes wide.

"Now, that's not happening." Harry said quickly reaching over it.

Hermione moved it away from him.

"Fine." Hermione muttered. "Just give me a bit more of time. I just want to know what's he doing and what he has on his plate-"

"Are you going to stalk him?" Harry asked. "Cause that is stalking already."

Hermione shook her head at him as she tried to memorize some notes and dates from the itinerary.

"He's at the plaza right now." Hermione said quickly taking note of the details over the date and time. "The plaza near the main library in town. You think we can go there?"

Harry reached for the calendar but Hermione moved it once more out of his reach.

"Mione-"

"Come on, I just want to see him and apologize."

"He'll come back."

"Not in a week!" Hermione quickly said. "I want to know what he's doing-"

Harry stared at her, looking outright disapproving of her attitude at the moment.

"You know what, do whatever. But just don't include me in this." Harry said and the irritation in his tone was very obvious now.

He had finished his pasta and Hermione hadn't even began on hers.

He prepared to leave meeting her eyes.

Hermione only gazed up at him from the planner when she noticed that Harry was already about to leave.

"Harry-"

"I'll see you tonight at the office before six." Harry said. "Give me back the planner tonight."

And before Hermione could say anything else, Harry had left her with her thoughts scattered all over as she battled whether to follow him or continue with her tiny little new hobby.

Three hours later, Hermione had casually worn long black leggings, a red knitted sweater that Mrs. Weasley had given her at a previous occasion, a thin scarf around her neck and a black cap.

She tried to look as discreet and away as possible from her usual clothes and stayed at Café Verona, the café right across the library and plaza from which she thought Loki Laufeyson would be.

According to the planner in her bag, he was supposed to be here today for lunch and an afternoon meeting with a couple of Ministry officials in regards of knowledge and information for books he wanted to donate at the library and the other financial matters he could give for the plaza in order to demonstrate some better reconstruction for it.

As far as Hermione knew, he was meeting with Ministry officials she wasn't very familiar with as they worked in a different department at the government.

Hermione promised herself that this was going to be a very carefully orchestrated plan and that she would leave as soon.

She wasn't even sure why she was there as this was obviously, as Harry calls it, stalking already.

But there was something about the man and the way she had given him a final impression that made her want to right what felt and seemed wrong at the time.

Hermione was halfway into drinking her hot chocolate when she saw that the man himself had walked into the café alongside two Ministry officials and three others from MaCusa.

She quickly hid herself behind the folder and book she had brought with her and carefully watched them walk in.

She was right to pick the table by the corner and adjacent to the door of the café.

She could see him from across the street and yet if he enters the café, she would be able to hide in a position he wouldn't see her.

He had picked a table a few from her but one from which he couldn't possibly see her unless he purposely move across the room or crane his neck to one side and exchange chairs with one of the people he was with.

He had ordered joyously for himself and the people around him.

"Flaunting his money all over." Hermione muttered under her breath as a moment later, two large bottles of the expensive wine had been served while they waited for their other orders.

Hermione watched with keen and observant eyes as they conversed and everyone around him was just very much engaged with his charm.

She wondered what possible things he was relying to them for them to pay that much attention to him.

Her brown eyes narrowed as he casually stood up to excuse himself to wash his hands as two waiters started placing their orders on their table.

She stared as he walked to the other side of the café where the bathroom was while their table was being served with what looked like the best dishes from the menu.

Hermione had been patient but it had taken him a while to come back to the table.

He was smiling and he had gestured for them to begin on their food already.

In order to enable her to stay longer, Hermione ordered for a platter of seafood pasta and watched them continue their meeting while she hid herself behind the menu or the book by her table.

She wished she had one of those Extendable Ears of George and Fred at the moment because she was really practically bending her neck just to get a little glimpse of their conversation.

The officials were enjoying themselves not only for the food he had bought them but the company they had.

His black hair fell at the sides of his shoulders and his eyes gleamed and his smile was a mixture of glee and of something else.

Hermione couldn't pinpoint what exactly, but there was something in the look of his face that both fascinated her and made her feel uncomfortable.

There was really something with the man that she just couldn't shake away.

The late luncheon had taken about two hours or so and the next time Hermione stared by her small pocket watch, it was nearly six in the evening already.

Their meal had turned into a few more bottle of drinks and Hermione knew that whatever they've talked about, they've already been bought by the man himself.

Hermione had finished her pasta and her hot chocolate and had ordered herself a small bottle of sparkling drink when she checked her watch again.

It was nearly seven and Harry was going to kill him for not returning at the office and not returning the planner.

She had taken her time studying, reading and memorizing the details the planner has provided her as she got bored for the hours that Loki spent with the officials.

Hermione has read all the charity events he was about to attend, the things he wanted to be bought for these events, the people he was in contact with and the other to-do list.

But it wasn't written in the planner when he was planning to leave if he was indeed foreign.

And a few pages at the back of the calendar plate had writings on them that Hermione didn't understand.

Most of the pages were obviously written for him by his assistant or so but the writings with different sort of patterns, shapes and languages were handwritten differently.

Was this his own handwriting?

But how come he had written it in different lettering and form.

It bothered her for she knew immediately that it wasn't just another form of language but that it was also important.

Why had he taken end notes in a different language?

What was so important and formed in secret that he had to do it this way?

She had been thinking of bringing it home or bringing it to Harry when Loki finally stood up to shake the hands of each official with a bit more of laugh and pat over the back as they bid one another goodbye.

Hermione quickly gathered her things from the table while keeping herself still hidden at the corner as she watched with careful eyes as they all started leaving the table with laughs and conversations still on going as they all clapped one another's back as they prepared to leave.

Hermione had lost her patience and had shoved all her things together inside her bag including the planner and had waved the waiter for her bill as fast as she could in order to follow them out of the café.

But after impatiently waiting and shoving her bill on the small bill tray, the next time she looked up their table was completely empty now and the waiters were clearing away their dishes.

"What the fuck." Hermione muttered slinging her bag around her and looking around the restaurant.

All the officials were gone and her eyes scanned all directions of the café with question in her eyes and fast heart beat at the thought of it.

One moment they were all just about to leave and the next, they had completely vanished from sight.

 _Where the hell was Loki?_

Hermione quickly fidgeted for the calendar back inside her bag to check if he had anything else planned for the night so she could follow while making her way out of the restaurant.

Hermione eyed the exit door as the waiter bid her thank you and good bye while she hurriedly scanned the depths of her bag for the planner as she made her way out.

But the next moment, Hermione had painfully skidded and bumped into a collision straight towards someone that she dropped her bag and all its contents including the small calendar plate.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Hermione muttered scrambling to her feet to pick up everything that fell all over by the entrance door of the café.

She quickly gathered all her belongings and threw them right back in her bag and was just about to reach for the calendar plate when the person she bumped into reached to it first and bent forward to hand it to her.

"I'm so sorry." Hermione said her eyes moving from her bag, to the planner and to the pair of elegant black shoes in front of her.

Her eyes widened as the calendar was held and was being gently handed to her.

Her heart began to beat extremely fast as she slowly looked up.

"I would take it that this _isn't_ yours?" Loki's deep, silky and amused voice came as moved closer to her, half bent on his knees as he handed her the planner.

All the colour from Hermione's face had vanished and her voice felt very much stuck in her throat.

Her heart was beating fast, her voice lost and her hand slightly shaking as she looked up and met his gaze and the amused yet questioning glare from his face told her that she was just busted as hell at that very moment.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter X**_

 _ **The Trouble with Our World**_

 _It has been two weeks since the Battle of Hogwarts._

 _The age of recovery was becoming yet everything feels so surreal._

 _Hermione Granger lined up at the hospital at St. Mungo's while she waited for Harry and Ron as they were being checked for their health._

 _Everyone who had been included at the main battle at Hogwarts and who survived were recommended and required to attend a four-week physical, emotional and mental check at the hospital to tend to their needs and mend the emotional turmoil the war could have caused._

 _She was early as usual as she didn't want to line up longer than the rest._

 _So when she finished, Harry and Ron were just about to get theirs and she offered to wait for them at the café down the hospital._

 _Hermione was just opening her book to read for the day as her breakfast had been served when she saw a familiar face entering the café._

 _Draco Malfoy._

 _He was walking quietly, head down as if he didn't want to be seen nor recognized as he ordered his own breakfast tray._

 _Her eyes wandered at his direction and she silently followed him with her gaze as he settled in a far corner table at the café._

 _He looked pale and unusually sickly looking._

 _Perhaps the trauma with him had been deeply embedded than they've thought._

 _He could have endured things they didn't know._

 _Despite their differences, Hermione always told Harry and Ron never to just judge Draco Malfoy for he was just as much as a victim as the rest of them._

 _She didn't know why, but staring at him at that very moment made her feel quite sorry for the boy._

 _Did he know that things would go down this way?_

 _No, he didn't._

 _He only wanted to survive like the rest of them and he loved his mother so much he was willing to do whatever it takes to help them survive the war they were also a victim of._

 _Draco wasn't stupid._

 _He knew what he was getting at and knew what he was getting out of it._

 _He bagged at his father's supposedly loyalty to the Dark Lord to help them survive._

 _And for as long as he followed them, he was sure that he could keep his mother safe._

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked up from his table and the newspaper clippings he had been studying.

He had been waiting for Hermione for three hours now with the promised return of the object he had lent her.

But she was still nowhere.

He wasn't sure if he was going to be angry or worried or both.

Hermione had been acting out of her own recently and he wasn't sure what was causing all of it.

She always seemed distracted and off and he wasn't sure how to help her around or out of it.

"Yes?" Harry asked closing the newspaper clipping he was reading and folding it away. "What is it?"

A Ministry wizard entered his office bearing a small parchment in his hand.

"I'm quite sure this may be…little or no importance for you but we had to ask you."

Harry accepted the parchment and stared at it.

These were due bills of taxes of Draco Malfoy that have been unpaid for some months now.

Harry's eyes narrowed at the information he was reading.

"From the Finance Department?" he asked.

"Yes." the wizard answered him. "We know this isn't your problem but you came to school with him. We were wondering if you or any of your friends or batch has heard of him lately?"

"No." Harry had said. "I don't think so.. not really."

"He was last said to attend the charity ball but was unable to. All his businesses are still on-going and finances there are still well-kept and updated. But he hasn't signed anything like payments to the taxes of these establishments of his or the Malfoys. Madam Narcsissa Malfoy, who used to do all of these was never late in the payments and neither did Mr. Draco Malfoy. That's why we are looking for him for the sudden change and shift of schedule of his payments.

Harry read through the financial reports and nodded to keep it.

"Can you send me a few more information? I'll ask around from people who knows him that may help us with this." Harry said as he took a note of it onto his table notepad.

The wizard nodded at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter." he smiled. "We know your.. relations with the Malfoys.. aren't really – well, very close – but you and Miss Granger are the only ones we know who have been in close encounter with them."

"Yeah." Harry said with a small snort. "You can call it that. Speaking of – have you seen if Hermione has returned?"

"Oh, no sir." the wizard said as he walked to the door to leave. "I haven't seen Miss Granger. Should I let her know you're looking for her if she arrives? I'm duty until three in the morning."

"That'll be great." Harry said. "I'll stay and wait for a few more hours. Can you have someone send me more information then on this financial history and records of Draco Malfoy and the businesses he's handled?"

"Yes." the wizard agreed. "I'll have that done now. Will send them up here, Mr. Potter."

 **"** **L-Loki Laufeyson." Hermione managed to croak out loud, her eyes narrowed and her face pale.**

 **Loki gave her a look and a smile that made her want to just melt and vanish from the spot.**

 **"** ** _Hermione Granger_** **." Loki drawled out at her taking a step and extending his hand to help her fully back on her feet. "Well, isn't this a delectable surprise?"**

And despite that she tried to open her mouth to say something, nothing came out of it.

And fifteen minutes later, Hermione still haven't recovered nor found her voice.

Hermione was as silent and still as she could possibly be as she sat at the back seat of a large, black Muggle limousine.

Loki Laufeyson sat opposite her at the back of the limo and was reading a small book that told her it was his personal planner.

He was a very well-tended, well-organized and cultured man and as elegant as he could possibly be.

The colour from her face drained the moment she looked up at him and his eyes ran over the itinerary in her hand for which she knew he had quickly recognized as a copy he's left with the Ministry of Officials.

She made no effort to really excuse herself out of it and he seemed uninterested with the fact about it or rather, was more interested to asking her out for coffee and dinner once more.

She was reluctant and obviously desperate in wishing for the stone floor to open up and swallow her alive as a whole but he was staring at her as if he knew she would say yes.

And she did say yes.

Hermione wasn't sure if it was his charm or because she doesn't want to be teased nor asked further about the itinerary that was with her that she had said yes.

He was very charming and just as persuasive but it didn't take much effort at his end for Hermione to go with him.

Hermione stared up at him and with his knowing smile and his promise of ' _No questions about this will be asked'_ as he gestured to the planner when he handed it back to her, closed the deal of her agreeing to go with him.

Loki told her that the vehicle was the one lent to him by a Russian Muggle business man to pick him up from his previous Ministry business to meet him for a document he needed to sign.

He didn't say much but rather led her to the Muggle vehicle and Hermione, not really after another or other options, entered the vehicle and promised herself to really make it up to Harry when she gets home.

She wasn't even sure why it was so hard to say no to the man.

"Where would you like to eat, Miss Granger?" Loki's deep and silky voice came entering her thoughts.

She was staring at him with her thoughts filled with him as well.

"Sorry?" Hermione asked as she blinked, looking away and was completely flustered.

He smiled at her and closed the planner in her hand and set it aside.

"I would like to take you to dinner." Loki told her with an inviting smile. "Where would you like?"

"I thought that you're meeting someone?" Hermione asked him. "Isn't that where we're going?"

"I would be sending them a message on where to send the document. The vehicle is merely leading us at the end of this town where most restaurants and cafes are."

Hermione nodded quietly as she stared at the view of the window and realized she was being led at the side of London where the same large restaurants and cafes were to be found.

She remembered this place when a news article before about Draco being found by Rita Skeeter at this end of London tangling hands and kisses with some female.

It was obviously a famous Muggle place but not for witches and wizards.

She looked up at Loki who was reading a newspaper this time and wondered if he was trying to avoid attention from the people of her world that's why he decided to have dinner at this side of London.

Despite his being a gentleman, she still fidgeted with the idea and thought of him and the guilt that was crumbling and eating her inside.

She shifted over her side of the limo and exhaled sharply.

Loki didn't look up from what he was reading but was obviously aware of Hermione's activities in front of him.

"About the planner.." she began, breathing hard and heavy and trying to swallow her pride away. "I'd like to say that-"

"Did we not agree that we won't be talking about it?" he interrupted her without looking up from what he was reading from the paper. "We agreed, did we not?"

Hermione's eyes widened and her brows raised.

Was he being sure of this?

Was he a gentleman or did he have other plans up those black sleeves of his to assure her of their previous agreement?

"Sorry." Hermione quickly muttered before he changes his mind. "I just.. Okay. Never mind."

"Tell me something else." Loki said as he turned a page from the paper.

"Something else?" Hermione asked him.

"About why you were there at the café." Loki said as he closed the paper and folded it aside. "Why were you at Café Verona?"

He asked her directly, without a hint of hesitation and with nothing but determination in his beautiful dark eyes.

Hermione's voice was stuck in her throat again.

Yes, he didn't ask about the damned itinerary but now he was asking just almost the same thing or rather something worse.

Her cheeks turned red and the way her eyes moved and her fingers fidgeted in front of her, Loki could already tell that her whole being was panicking at that moment.

A gentle smile appeared over his face but Hermione didn't relax at all.

If any, she was just getting confused by the moment.

"I was having dinner." Hermione pointed out at him trying to regain a bit more of her composure. "You? Why were you there?"

She tried to sound confident and authoritative but Loki Laufeyson wasn't a weak one and definitely not a man to be fooled.

"I had a meeting." he gently explained to her. "With a few people from your government."

And before Hermione could say something, he inched a little back and knocked three times at the window of the driver behind him.

The limo slowed down and skidded into a halt.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked as they stopped in what looked like a lofty apartment building.

"I was told this used to be an apartment." Loki said as he straightened out his black suit. "But now it is a dinner place with a good view in their rooms."

Hermione swallowed hard.

"I thought we are having dinner?" she incredulously asked him, eyes wide and the hint of panic growing in her tone. "Isn't this a motel?!"

Now she definitely didn't think that she would make it back to Harry in the morning to explain herself.

Loki's eyes were quick to notice how out of reflex, Hermione had closed her legs together in a tighter position.

He only smiled at her.

"Hotel Grandeau." Loki told her as the driver of the limo went down and opened the door for the two of them.

"It's the same thing." Hermione pointed out as she watched him with panicking eyes as he got down the car before her and turned to her once he was out.

"It's very different, Miss Granger. Hotels are far more expensive, luxurious and elegant if I may say and definitely, _more pleasurable_ in my opinion." Loki said as he turned and offered his hand to her. " _Shall we?"_

Hermione's eyes widened in panic and the horror in them grew as she stared back at the playful and inviting charm he offered her.

She was at the least two hours away from Harry and her wand felt too weak to even create the tiniest spell against this man whom she doesn't know what he was really capable of.

What the hell was she thinking agreeing to go with him in the first place.

 _"_ _Why do you need someone fit of your love and power brother when you can have anyone you want?"_

 _"_ _You don't understand." Loki reasoned with a smile as he clapped and cheered for his brother to target his aim. "Ladies.. they are very.. different from us. We need someone as beautiful, delicate yet strong and agile as mother to guide and protect us in a way that not even swords and arrows can do so."_

 _Loki watched as his brother let go of the arrow and aimed right and hit right onto the target._

 _His friends Lady Sif and the others cheered on before continuing on their own practice and exercise schemes at each end of the training hall._

 _"_ _What do you call me then?" Lady Sif turned giving Loki a look._

 _They were all childhood friends but she always seemed irate to him than the rest in times of jokes and serious things._

 _But he loved her as a sister and protected her nevertheless._

 _"_ _No offense, Lady Sif." Loki said as he shielded his chest over a large stick she threw at his direction. "I know you're all brains and brawns. But you're just not my type."_

 _"_ _You wish." Lady Sif yelled back as Thor and the rest of the boys laugh horribly at her and the truth in Loki's words._

 _They always loved and protected her, but never saw her as a woman despite the nickname they called her._

 _As usual, the first three hours of the day after breakfast were spent by Loki, his brother Thor and his friends in this hall to train before going on about in their usual classes until lunch time where the only break they can possibly attain would be the hours after their meditation and prayer afternoon at the hall of the gods._

 _From the age of seven until today that they were mostly 18, these were the routinary life they've lived._

 _Thor was the one next in line before his brother to be the king of Asgaard._

 _Despite that at times he seemed unfit for the position, Loki loved his brother dearly and supported all that he waved for a cause – even if it meant being a pain in the arse to the guards of their kingdom who did their best to protect and guard them despite it all._

 _Loki, knowing he wasn't the favourite one of their father, was always the one favored by the beautiful and majestic queen._

 _At birth, she bestowed him powers for which she didn't give to her eldest, Thor._

 _Thor always questioned this little gift that their mother bestowed upon his younger brother saying that as a future king, he would need one._

 _The beautiful queen would tell him that a king needs other things than powers and that his brother, who always seemed sickly and physically weak as a child, needed something else other than brawns to protect him should the future calls for it._

 _Loki was quiet but deep inside, he always knew that his mother favoured and loved him more than his brother Thor – and should king Odin love the elder one more than he, it doesn't matter anymore._

 _"_ _Brawns." Thor would always mutter feeling bigger and stronger than his brother all the time._

 _The queen would smile at them both and before bidding them goodbye at their daily activities, she would always come for Loki to return to her arms and kiss him over the forehead and tell him that there are things more important and stronger than brawns and she would eye his forehead to tell him that at times, brains would be more important to be used for battle._

 _"_ _When you fall in love, brother." Loki began in a drawling voice. "You will not know of it, you will not be able to control it."_

 _"_ _I am future king." Thor said loudly. "I can and will be able to control everything."_

 _"_ _Oh, I'd like to see that." Loki said with a big smile to his brother who was always loud and boastful out of many things. "I'd like to see you unleash yourself against the power of love."_

 _"_ _Love is but a word, little brother." Thor teased him. "I will always have control over my emotions."_

 _Loki nodded and smiled at him._

 _He would never win against him in arguments and he neither cared for more often than not, he was always right about things and he reveled at the amusing thought that his brother always fell face first against everything he was fighting over._

 _"_ _Do not underestimate it, brother." Loki said as he nodded as the king and queen could be viewed from afar heading their way. "Look how father – the mighty king Odin – who bows to n one fell on his knees when his eyes strayed and his soul fell deeply for our mother."_

 _Thor turned and waved as their parents walked their way – the king with all his glory and the queen with all her beauty and elegance waving at them both._

 _"_ _I would let you know once I fall in love, brother." Thor said. "But you should promise me that once you do so yourself, you would tell me as well."_

 _"_ _I would brother." Loki said as he picked up the arrow and aimed at the same target once more. "I would tell you right away. But I tell you, you'll never really see love coming or breaking you."_

 _And then he released the arrow and hit the very middle of Thor's aimed arrow slicing it into two broken halves._

"I'm doing a guesswork that you're uncomfortable to be here with me." Loki said as he entered the small café living room.

It was a nice apartment that has indeed been turned into a small café restaurant.

It was very, very beautiful and there were room upstairs in various of sizes and interior according to the pictures that were plastered all over the wall.

There were a few other guests bunked at the other side of the living room that was designed as a living room and were having either some light dinner or coffee while reading the books from the set up bookshelves that the guests were free to read anytime.

The entrance of the apartment was changed into an exterior of a reception area and the receptionist was very kind to them.

Hermione had been well aware then that Loki was a frequent here as the smiles he received as they entered the café area proved it.

She wasn't why the years she's stayed at London, she's barely ever known all these little cafes and shops that Loki were bringing her into.

What was she doing with the rest of her life?

And it was embarrassing to think that Loki was foreign and wasn't even from their place to know all these little good places to trip to and stay in.

"I'm not uncomfortable." Hermione told her as she kept her arms folded over her chest and her legs tight together while they waited for the order he had for them.

Hermione's eyes roamed around the apartment turned public business establishment and her eyes fell onto all that were beautiful and reminded her of Paris.

"Right." Loki muttered turning the page of the menu had had been reading.

Hermione's eyes turned into slits and quickly turned back to him.

"I have to be somewhere else if you must know."

He looked up at her, watching her eyes and her flustered face.

"No, you don't." Loki confidently said. "Should you have elsewhere to be, you wouldn't have come with me in the first place."

"You were insistent!" Hermione said unable to control the volume of her voice.

He only smirked at her.

"I _invited_ you." Loki said. "I didn't insist nor _force_ you to be here."

He closed the menu and sat back over the table and stared at her as he folded his arms over his chest as well.

She rolled her eyes at him and looked away.

"But by all means, Miss Granger. Leave if you must." Loki said slowly leading his hand up to the doorway watching her closely.

"That's not very gentleman of you." Hermione spat at him, eyes wide.

"I'll have a car for you if that will make you feel better. I won't let you walk ofcourse."

Her pale face was now turning into a vicious colour of red.

"You are really – very – _really –_ " Hermione angrily spat at him but unable to put her feelings into words.

He only looked very amused at her.

"Miss Granger, I don't think you're supposed to be at the Ministry at this hour." Loki said with a little concern over her eyes. "What should you be doing there at about – say – nine in the evening?"

He lightly shook the golden pocket watch he pulled out from his smart suit.

Her eyes turned into slits.

But before she could even say anything, two waiters came to their table and began serving their dishes.

This was twice in a row that she had come with him for no valid reason and she just couldn't be sure whom to blame – Loki or herself.

And then her mind went back to what he had said.

 _It was nine in the evening._

Harry was definitely going to kill her.

But for some reason, she just felt that it wasn't right to leave this man.

And as she opened her mouth to argue, another waiter came to their table and bowed at Loki.

He handed him a large black envelope with a golden ribbon around it.

Loki only nodded and had placed the black envelope over the other empty chair next to them.

Hermione's eyes moved towards it but before she can ask, Loki ushered that she began eating as the other waiters left them.

She watched as he stared excitedly over their large feast again.

She wondered why he always ordered a large array of food and barely even ate at all.

"You seem very used into a grand entrée of food." Hermione commented as she reached over the table for a napkin before taking a look over the dishes before her.

He smiled at her.

"My mother took very good care of us." Loki said as he reached for a napkin and began rolling steak over his plate. "She made sure that the table was full of everything we ever wanted. Father on the other hand, always wanted to see grandeur over our breakfast buffet and barely even touches anything most of the time."

"Hungry eyes but not a hungry tummy." Hermione muttered as he handed over a platter of the steak and the large bowl of lobster over her direction.

If she'd count the dishes they've eaten since they met, she was sure that she could possibly already feed a whole classroom of charity.

She was reluctant at his serving skills but with good skills, he was able to skin the lobster and serve it hot and fresh before her without even having to touch it or mess his fingers.

He knew good and elegant cuisine and he was well mannered in a lot of things and was also very intellectual in her good guess – they does she feel that he was such an arse at times?

They settled and ate quietly and Hermione kept inhaling sharply out of her nervous feeling that Harry was waiting for her and the itinerary in her bag.

"I'm sensing something like agitation over your direction." Loki calmly said as he slowly sliced a large piece of beef over his plate.

"Do you really have to sense and pry over everything?" she asked with such irate in her tone.

He smiled at her and stared at her, studying her expression.

"Now I am sensing some hostility over there." Loki said as he put the piece of meat in his mouth and nodded at her.

She stared back at him, eyes burning in anger.

And she wasn't even sure why she wasn't standing up to leave the arse alone.

Loki swallowed and took a sip from his glass of red wine.

"If you would please, Hermione – you don't have to be agitated every time we meet. We can be friends. You can find that I am a very reasonable person."

"We've tried." Hermione pointed out. "And I've seen nothing but an arsehole."

He laughed at her, loud and clear enough for some people to stare at their direction.

"You haven't known me well enough." Loki told her. "Come now, give me a chance. Let me show you what I do for your government and how I can possibly change things."

"Change things?" Hermione asked him. "I think we're very well settled after starting over from the past months. We don't need your help."

"In contrary, you are in desperate need of my help." Loki said as he gently pushed his plate away from him and settled the utensils aside.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked in a loud and irritated tone.

There was a fiery look in his eyes that told Hermione that he was serious about something.

"Your Minister of Magic said so in our private meeting." Loki said. "There are certain businesses, establishments, infrastructure that needed – what do you call it? Some funding or help…. trivial aids as he would call them. And I offered him my help. He gladly accepted it."

"Our world nearly crumbled down but I think we did fine." Hermione muttered through gritted teeth to avoid being heard by the other guests around them. "And I think we're surviving just right- "

"Your world is surviving through crumbs and crumbs thrown by MaCuSa and the Russian government, Miss Granger." Loki answered her through a vicious whisper but with a smile plastered over her face.

"You're lying-"

"These are facts." Loki said with a gleam in his face. "These are facts, Miss Granger. Private meeting agendas. I'm sure you've read in the itinerary."

Her eyes widened as she recalled some of the 'Gold Protocol' items and pages all over the mid pages of the planner.

Loki smiled at the recognition of her facial expression.

"We – we weren't told about this – I have to check the validity-"

"Do you think your government would tell the Golden Trio about how they are financially suffering this time around?" Loki asked her with a personal touch of his tone. "Do you think they will bother the saviors of their world with something as trivial as that your government is sinking very deeply with financial burdens?"

Hermione felt her voice stuck in her throat.

"No, I don't think so." Loki provided the answer for her as he sat back over his chair. "So what I am offering you is a good friendship or working relationship, Miss Granger. I can also do both. Because whether or not you like it - Hermione – you and I would be seeing one another and would be working very, _very closely."_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**Greetings universe!**_ _**Yes, I am still very much alive.**_ _**I've been away, busy and unwell. My birthday is coming on Wednesday and I feel bad and not able to focus into preparing it because things at home (like the bad stuff and shit last July) is coming up again (some family thing that keeps on repeating) and is emoitnally trying to bring me back down.**_ _**I've tried and i'm trying hrder and harder everyday to be mature, to man it all up and suck it all up but it's just not easy. writing, coffee and a few chats with friends are my memre escape lately.**_ _**This time last year I was so harassed with my upcoming graduation recital so I did only half enjoyed my birthmmonth. but this year, it really sucks cause you get only a birthday once a year and shit has to happen exactly at my birthmonth and start even at my birthday week. so I'm kind of really emotional at the moment.**_ _**but I am fighting it. i'm really, really trying to fight it off.**_ _**Hope all is well at your end.**_ _**Here's a chapter for everyone.**_ _**Cheers and lots of love from my end of the world.**_ _**xx**_

 ** _Chapter XI_**

 ** _Maps of the Soul_**

 _"_ _We would be working very closely, so I suggest this friendship I am offering you-"_ Hermione muttered, mimicking Loki's expression as she tied her hair up in a tight bun at the café's ladies' room.

She stared at her reflection and couldn't believe that she lasted

about an hour or so with the despicable man.

Well, he wasn't despicable – he just reminded her a lot of a combination of Draco and Lucius Malfoy – good looks, money and an ego bigger than the three of them altogether.

"Friends with you?" she repeated counting seconds in her head on how long she can still stay there to excuse herself there. "No, sir – not me, I guarantee you." Hermione muttered with fire in her eyes.

He had been serving her with the best dishes at the café as his reservation and she had to admit that all dishes were delectable and well, she could only guess were expensive.

They had been debating about many things – from work, to ideas and beliefs – and this, Hermione won't be able to deny at all – the man had style and was intellectual.

In fact, if she'd take a closer look, he had the looks and the brains, and not to mention the gold for all that he wanted in the world.

But there was just something irritable about him and yet she couldn't say no to his invitations..

Why?

She doesn't know.

But he absolutely keeps her curious and interested at the same time what with all the knowledge he shares with her.

There was just too much of interesting things inside his head that she couldn't just put him down and ignore.

After about ten minutes of battling with herself on how she would excuse herself to get home after a scrumptious dinner that she secretly really enjoyed, Hermione returned to their table.

A 'Faux' colour of her lipstick, her hair up in a messy bun and a look that told the world she was ready to quite retire for the night, she returned to their table to find two glasses of wine, a large bottle of an expensive looking wine, a tray of grapes strawberry, cheese, crackers and tidbits of other things.

It was another cheese and wine night then.

"No, sir." Hermione said unable to stop herself as she took her scarf from the chair. "I need to go."

Loki stared up at her and took sip from his glass of wine.

"By all means." Loki said gesturing to the window of the café. "Leave if you must. But I'm not going to stay out there into the blizzard."

"Blizzard?" Hermione repeated in an almost scandalous voice. "What do you mean blizzard? Excuse me, it's not fucking – oh my fucking winter-"

Hermione's eyes turned very wide as she saw from the window that it was snowing – no, it was hammering – with shards of ice outside.

She looked around her and all the handful of customers were staying in and cozy for the night and none of them seemed the least bothered that outside was a winter-weather when the season really and obviously didn't call for it.

"What's going on?" she asked turning to the window and checking down the whole view from it and going back to their table with her loud shoes tapping all over the floor for each of her footstep.

"It's a blizzard out there, if you'd see." Loki calmly said refilling his glass with another round of the wine.

Hermione stared and now the wine looked so warm.

Or was it the cozy fireplace that had been lit up just a while ago?

She shook her head and stared back at the man.

It would be rude if she'd use her magic to get herself back and leave him and tagging him along with her wasn't a question because the point was she didn't want to be with him.

Or didn't she?

She stared and he continued to enjoy the wine, describing to her how it tastes like and its possible origin.

A minute later, she found herself sitting across him, arms folded over her chest and watching him quietly as he filed her glass with the wine and moved the cheese platter closer to her with a quiet yet triumphant look over his face.

"I'm only staying because I don't want to get sick." Hermione spat at him ignoring the glass before her.

"By all means, who wants to get sick?" he said with a gleeful smile that told her that he was really enjoying himself at that very moment.

"You like this, don't you?" she asked him unable to stop herself.

"Oh, I love wine and cheese." Loki replied at her. "This is really nice and-"

"I mean this." Hermione said sitting straight over her chair and giving him a deadly glare. "This whole blizzard thing – getting stuck here – forcing me to bring me here-"

"Alright, first of all – " Loki said putting down his goblet and moving close to the table. "I _never_ forced you to come with me. We've already established that earlier, didn't we?"

Hermione didn't answer and she tried hard not to blink.

"Right, got that." Loki continued then. "Second, are you telling me that I made that blizzard out there? To get us to the third condition that I wanted us stuck here?"

"Well, I didn't say that-" Hermione began looking red with her assumptions. "All I'm trying-"

"Cause you seem to have the impression that I have some control over some bizaare power to control the weather outside – like this snowstorm that came out of nowhere-"

"I'm not saying that." Hermione angrily spat at him cutting him short from making her sound ridiculous. "All I'm saying is-"

"Yes, what are you saying?" Loki asked her slowly staring up at her with knowing smile and gaze.

She found herself unable to answer his question and found herself feeling foolish all the same.

"You know, Miss Granger…" Loki said in a clear voice and one that is full of serious tone this time. "I'm offering you to be friends with me because of circumstances like this and the long hours we'd be working on projects. Why can't you find it in yourself to give me a chance? What have I done to you?"

And now, she stared back at him with such a heavy and guilty feeling.

What has the man ever done to her?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

She just didn't like him because he sounded and acted a lot like the Malfoys but he wasn't and that was something she needed to point out to herself.

"Well?" Loki slowly said with a smile offered again to her. "How can I possibly adjust to all these standards you've got-"

"I don't have standards." Hermione irritably snapped at him. "I just…"

She heavily breathed, trying to gain control of herself and blocking the thought that he resemble the Malfoys away from her head.

"Fine." Hermione said sitting back and trying to relax again. "Let's try this.. this thing.."

"Thing?" Loki ask her. "I'm afraid I'm a little lost with this kind of-"

"Let's try to be friends." Hermione cut him short rolling her eyes. "Well, we can begin if you tell me about yourself.

"I've already told you about myself, I'm afraid." Loki reminded her. "Wasn't that what we did last time?"

"Yeah. And that didn't end up well." Hermione said with a flare in her nose. "I don't know how this is going to be."

"How about let's talk about books." Loki offered her. "You seem – as keen as I am with books. How about we begin with the books we've read and we like?"

Hermione stared at him with a raised brow.

Now that was something unlikely – boys never talk to her about books.

Well, not really.

The only one she's ever really exchanged good conversation about good books had always been professor Lupin and he was well, he was their professor.

Nothing sort of like this – wait, what was 'it' exactly?"

"Fine." Hermione said making up her mind to block her thoughts away. "Let's talk about books. Tell me about books you like or have read."

"That's generic talking." Loki told her brushing the thought away. "How about, you tell me the top ten books you love the most."

"Ten books I love the most?" Hermione repeated with question in her tone..

"Or even top five. And I'll do the same right after." Loki told her.

"Any book?"

"Any book." Loki assured her. "Literature, informative, politics – whatever they may be, as long as you include the top five or so."

"And then what?" Hermione asked him irritably as if there's no point to what he wanted to know from her.

His eyes stared back at her, a slight glimmer in them.

"And then I'd know you more." Loki answered with confidence in his tone. "I'd know more of you and about you."

"And how, Mr. Laufeyson would that be possible?" Hermione asked with annoyance in his way of speaking to her about immediately knowing about her just by knowing the books she loves and why she loves them.

Loki confidently smiled at her and across the table he drew over what looked like a square or so with his long and elegant fingers.

"But don't you know what they say?" he asked her with a peculiar smile over his face as he continued to draw something over the table without taking his locked gaze from Hermione.

"What is it they say?" Hermione asked him finally taking a sip from her glass of wine.

Loki smiled at her gesture and nodded.

"That the books that we read are the maps that point us directly into one's soul."

Hermione stared back at him, all the while his dark and alluring tone echoing all throughout her head as she could only smile back at him and couldn't help but agree inside her head that what he just said did make sense to her more than she could possibly admit.

Hermione's inability to answer but give a mere smile gave Loki the answer he needed or rather wanted.

"What say you, Miss Granger?" he asked with a smile. "Have picked your brains now and am allowed to have a look to the maps of your soul?"

 _A few months ago…._

 _"_ _Loki, what is this I've heard?"_

 _Loki turned from the balcony's view of the whole of Asgaard and found his brother walking directly towards him._

 _His hot-headed expression told Loki that there was something he has done or something that he didn't gain that morning that he wanted._

 _"_ _Brother?" Loki asked with a sheepish smile over his face._

 _"_ _Don't brother me." Thor replied with a look over his face._

 _They stared at one another until Thor's hardened expression softened and he gave his brother a hard-knock pat over the book._

 _"_ _I heard you want to cross the words." Thor said with an unmistakable amusement in his voice as he walked around, his red cape flying behind him through the cold wind against their balcony at the side of the palace._

 _"_ _You heard I want to cross worlds?" Loki repeated. "Pray tell, which of your little minions have been prying on me?"_

 _Thor stared back at Loki's undaunted expression and yet he wasn't intimidated._

 _"_ _Ah, ofcourse." Loki said with a smile of his own. "Lady Sif."_

 _Thor didn't admit it but his expression and the fact that she was the one fastest and capable to know things around the castle was the only answer._

 _"_ _She's concerned." Thor reasoned. "She said she saw you lingering around that room.. and well, I couldn't help but be curious."_

 _"_ _I've been dreaming about that world." Loki said with a concerned and serious look over his face. "But without mother to tell me what it all means.. I have to find out myself."_

 _Both their parents were gone by now and with Thor, king of Asgaard he had the say and power to bring Loki back to their palace under the condition that his powers are condensed and are only ever used for good._

 _Loki agreed despite all the thing that he was called and was told not to do._

 _What could he say?_

 _He was safest at the place where his brother, the mighty god of Thunder was than anywhere else in the galaxies where he was despised and hated and possibly murdered with all the wrong and right convictions of his crimes and sins._

 _"_ _Well, when do you want us to visit?" Thor asked him with a gleeful smile. "So I can tell my – what is that? Ah, minions to handle business around here."_

 _"_ _Now that doesn't make you a good king." Loki said with a smile as they walked around the balcony, inhaling the air and the smell of the gardens that their mother had built through the years._

 _"_ _I'm king." Thor said. "I'm also god of Thunder. I can do what I want." Thor joked with a boastful smile._

 _"_ _Now that's the reason you almost did not make it to your throne right now." Loki pointed out and they both laughed._

 _He smiled at Thor and then his expression slowly turned serious._

 _"_ _Just give me a few months. I need to find out and sort out these dreams."_

 _"_ _You want to go to a world I've only ever been a few times and a world that you almost destroyed and a world that despises you. Yes?"_

 _Loki nodded at him without the serious look fading away._

 _"_ _You are adamant about this, aren't you?" Thor asked realizing his brother's insistence and serious decision on the matter._

 _"_ _Yes." Loki answered him. "I need to go to Midgard."_

 _Thor stared back at his brother, closely staring at his eyes and wanting to know what was making him decide for this._

 _And then he realized what and hit him right then and there._

 _"_ _It's a woman, isn't it?" he asked._

 _"_ _A what – what?" Loki asked but he was obviously taken aback._

 _They stopped walking and Thor noticed how Loki started avoiding his gaze._

 _"_ _Ah yes, a woman.." Thor said. "In your dreams?"_

 _"_ _I said dreams." Loki pointed out. "But not necessarily a woman."_

 _"_ _That's the same look in your eyes when I wanted to return to Midgard to see Jane." Thor pointed out at him. "How did you meet this girl?"_

 _Loki didn't answer._

 _"_ _Oh come on, brother." Thor asked him. "Don't you trust me? How can I help you to survive in that orld if you don't tell me what it is you need?"_

 _Loki stared at him for a moment before looking away again._

 _He was obviously contemplating on which information to share and not share with his brother._

 _"_ _I've never met her." Loki finally admitted. "But I've been seeing her face – in a way or so – and hearing this name."_

 _"_ _It starts with an H." Thor pointed out at him with a big smile._

 _Loki looked sharply up at him._

 _"_ _Have you been reading my mind?" he asked him knowing that was impossible._

 _"_ _You're the one mother bestowed with gifts." Thor pointed out with a hint of sarcasm and envy in his tone. "I only ever hear you several times in your sleep – calling this name. It starts with H. It's always slurry when you speak in your dreams. You aren't trying to control yourself in your dreams, do you?"_

 _Loki turned away, refusing to answer._

 _He had been trying to control his dreams over and over again._

 _It all started coming to him when he found out that he wasn't son of Odin but son of his known father's mortal nemesis._

 _From then on, when he started dreaming or having nightmares, he tried and practiced hard to control himself and his emotions in his dreams._

 _This time around, he had been dreaming about Midgard out of the blue and been dreaming about an image of a girl, or rather a woman and lots of books._

 _"_ _Well?" Thor asked him with a nagging smile._

 _"_ _Well what?" he irritably asked his brother._

 _"_ _When are we going to visit this maiden of yours?"_

 _"_ _She's not my maiden." Loki said blushing slightly. "I don't even bloody know what's that in my dreams. I just want to get to Midgard to see what is going on and why I am dreaming of that damned place."_

 _"_ _Easy brother." Thor said staring at him. "This world is something you once wanted very much."_

 _Loki didn't say anything._

 _"_ _How about I make you a deal?" Thor asked him. "We'll travel together to Midgard for a few days or weeks – you do what you need to do and I visit Jane. And when we get back, I'll let you be the king for a while I – "_

 _"_ _While you try to sneak Jane back here?" Loki cut him short and Thor gave him a shocked look. "I don't need to read your mind to know what you're bloody thinking brother. You'll never offer the throne to me or lend the throne to me if it's not something you'll get a bigger slice of."_

 _Thor didn't say anything but he smiled all the same._

 _"_ _Think about it, brother." Thor said turning away slowly from his brother. "We visit Midgard – you get the time you want to find this mysterious girl of yours, I visit Jane and we get back here – you sit on that throne for a bit while I vacation away with Jane. Great offer, nice offer little brother."_

 _"_ _I'm sure it's for me." Loki called after him shaking his head and turning back to the balcony to see the beautiful view of the sky and looking forward once more for the night time where he would get to sleep and hope to be awakened by the dream with the girl with brown eyes and long wild tresses._

By the time that the so-called snowstorm had dispersed, it was nearly three in the morning and Hermione found herself saying goodnight to Loki Laufeyson outside her apartment steps.

He had brought her right back the way they went and just down a few steps from her apartment, he offered he 'walk her home'.

It may have been the wine, the cheese, the sleepy head of hers, the cold night or the fact that she did enjoy herself this time and they did enjoy talking about the books they both love that may have made her agree with his suggestion.

They had talked a lot about the books they love – bordering from five to ten and above it – and Hermione found out that they read almost the same list and kind of books and had found herself actually amused at the idea that they did have something or rather a handful of things in common.

He told her the things he didn't like and with one is that he doesn't want to be disturbed into his reading habits from which his brother always seemed to find it amusing to disturb him in their library, how he finds that rules are rules but sometimes some are meant to be bent for the greater good, his ideals and ideas in a couple of areas in politics and so on and so forth.

From all the times that they had been together, this was by far the best night they had in her opinion if she would categorize it in that way.

He wasn't bad after all.

"So I supposed this means I'd be seeing you at the Ministry without you trying to end my life?" Loki asked as they halted at the steps of her apartment door.

"Yes and no." Hermione replied with a smile as she swayed around unconsciously flirting at the man. "It's not like I was trying to murder you. I just.. didn't.."

"You didn't like me." Loki helped her out. "And by now I hoped I've changed that, yes?"

He looked at her, making sure their eye contact was there.

Hermione looked away, blushing furiously.

"Alright. That's it.. I think I need to go. We've had a good night. I'll see you at the Ministry." Hermione said turning away and drawing herself away from the man before she does something she'd regret in the morning.

But Loki stopped her.

He quickly grabbed her wrist gently, taking a warm hold of it.

Hermione's eyes looked down at his long fingers around her wrist and back up at his eyes.

His beautiful eyes were staring back into her

He does have beautiful blue eyes – a pair that seemed to be god-made or god-like.

"Loki –"

"Goodnight, Hermione." Loki said and before she could even react, he moved closer to her and kissed the back of her hand with such a warm touch from his lips.

Hermione felt her heart beating fast, her voice stuck right at her throat.

There was nothing she could do or rather nothing she wanted anyway to do about it.

And before she could draw her wand away, Loki moved from her with a smile.

His jawline seemed to be prominent and beautiful with his full smile.

He looked content and genuinely happy in Hermione's opinion.

"I'll see you, Hermione." Loki said backing away slowly, taking each step as slow as he could possibly do so. "Lunch when we get back at the Ministry?"

Hermione smiled unable to stop herself and unable to put the reaction in her face about his now newly born confidence on his winning her over.

"We'll see." Hermione answered but the red over her cheeks and her smile already assured Loki that a lunch date was in order at their next Ministry work day. "You're too fast."

"I am a gentleman." Loki called back at her with a slight bow of his head and gesture of the hand. "But that doesn't mean I'm not indecisive to get what I want."

"What you want?" Hermione asked with a raised brow and as she settled her head by her door staring back at the man.

"Lunch." Loki clearly answered her giving her a look. "Don't overthink, Hermione."

"I'm not overthinking." Hermione defended herself. "I'm just saying."

"You did enjoy tonight, didn't you?" Loki called out at her. "And don't you dare deny it because it's written all over your face."

"You're pushing your luck, Laufeyson." Hermione called back at her. "Goodnight."

" I'll see you, my lady." Loki said sending off a flying kiss and a bow at her like some old-time fairytale prince.

Hermione nodded with a goodnight smile and a small wave of her wand not knowing that at that very moment, the god of mischief has already captured not just her mind but her heart as well.

The lights turned up dimly as he entered the vast loft he had been living on for the past weeks and months.

He entered and hung up his small cane that quickly turned into his scepter and hung itself magically against the wall right above the grand fireplace that was in the middle of the loft.

The grate quickly fired up and warmed the whole dimly lit room as his footsteps echoed all around the loft.

How he loved the location and the sight to behold at the small balcony of his loft.

He couldn't be any more grateful that the previous owner was a bachelor who acquired great tastes for fine things – it was like they were brothers in a way or so.

He had refined taste in colours and in furniture and the love for books was just there.

He sighed heavily and stared at the black, velvet dark green and silver and gold interiors at the delicate and particular parts of the apartment.

Whoever owned it didn't just have taste but knew the colour of royalty as it were.

He walked ahead and led himself at the small balcony that the apartment housed and offered.

From where he was, atop the apartment loft was a good view of the city.

He inhaled the cold wind against his skin at that hour of the early morning with his thoughts lingering over the woman he had just been with for the past hours.

Hermione Granger was such a beautiful, challenging and engaging woman.

He could just sense her magic stronger than anything he's faced and with that kind of magic and intellect he could actually weave through and control Midgard way easier than he could think of and imagine.

"Hermione Jean Granger…" Loki softly whispered inhaling the cold wind and closing his eyes at the thought of her.

He slowly extended his hand before him and placed it palm up ahead as if waiting for something to fall from the sky.

And then he slowly envisioned it – the white, the flakes and the cold ice bearing down from the sky.

Slowly, it started to gently snow down beautiful and refined looking snowflakes.

He smile without opening his eyes as he continued to think about her and her awe earlier on when he drew the little magic of blizzard at that end of London at that time of the year.

Oh her expression was just priceless – and he knew that there was just nothing she could get to explain why it snowed earlier.

"I've finally found my future queen." Loki said with a dark look in his eyes and a powerful smile over his face. "But before I could have you, I need to cleanse your world – our future abode."

His eyes focused at the beautiful gleaming city that his balcony view offered him.

"Things need to be taken into consideration." Loki whispered to himself with a plan well-structured in his head. "Before I can have you, I need to make sure that we have a beautiful palace to stay and a world that is not there to fight for you against me."

And then Loki thought of each and every book that Hermione told her about that she liked, loved and despised – giving him all the information he'd need to ensure that she falls deeply inlove with the god who was more than determined to sweep her off her feet and ensure that she becomes the future queen of an empire he had planned to build to create his own realm at the universe of the gods.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Author's Notes:_**

 ** _OHMYGOD I'M ALIVE, I'M ALIVE!_**

 ** _I know, I know, it's insane._**

 ** _March had been a hard and rough month despite that it was mybirthday month and it killed me to the bones._**

 ** _But no matter, I am here and am trying to revive mylife back to normal._**

 ** _Here is a chapter that isn't very long but will be giving a lot of details on what is to come._**

 ** _I"m trying to finish my other fic Forbidden Rapture which is SSHG type of story and I've been writing for more than a year aldeady and is just waiting for a last chapter and an epilogue._**

 ** _Through the Son my Dramione story and a first Dramione take is also on a the works on a lot of thrilling chapters._**

 ** _Beyond the Veil, my second Dramione has a lot going on despite that it is still in the earlier chapters._**

 ** _Other than, hope you like this one because i haven't given up on this crossover fic (my first ever crossover fic) so please don't give up on me._**

 ** _Tell me what you think._**

 ** _Lots of love_**

 ** _xx_**

 _ **Chapter XII**_

 _ **The Penthouse Office**_

The night had been quiet and Hermione had to admit to herself that she was able to go through sleep that night without being bothered by her usual dreams.

Harry had sent her a letter that a very short business trip with would take place the following morning and he might be returning late the following day should she need his company and wonder where he was at.

Hermione sent a quick " _Take care and dinner when you get back"_ note back to her bestfriend before going to the nearest café near the Ministry before going to work.

Everything had been fine and alright when upon entering the Ministry building, taking and leaving the lift in her office floor did something eventful happen.

A few wizards were seen at the lobby carrying, moving and taking things around.

She would have ignored it all until she realized that her favourite box of stocked books was being carried out from the direction of her office.

"Hold on – hey, wait! Wait – what's going – _HEY!"_ Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs as she tiptoed fast forward with her bag, parchments at hand and warm cup of joe in other hand towards the group of men carrying things around the lobby.

She halted right outside her office door where men were hauling her things out of her office and moving them all out and up into the hallway leading to the elevators.

"What is going on here?" she asked looking wildly around and staring at Kingsley at the end of the hallway talking to a man she wasn't familiar with.

"Oh, hello Miss Granger." greeted one of the old wizards moving her things. "We are just bringing you things to your new office. Would you like us to unbox them or you'll do them?"

"Would I like to what?" Hermione asked eyes wide and not meaning to sound offensive to the old man.

"Mr. Richards!" Kingsley called from the side of the hall. "You can continue, I will talk to Miss Granger."

Hermione turned from the Minister then back at the man who smiled and nodded at her.

Hermione opened her mouth but could only wordlessly watch as her things were being carried out of her old and small office.

"I'm sorry, what is going on?" she asked in a demanding tone knowing Harry wasn't there for the day to help her out. "Does Harry know about this?"

"No." Kingsley honestly answered her as he reached her. "I was about to tell him but he left very early for the trip with the Aurors to check a site that has been said to contain some old Dark Artifacts. They needed to go there as soon in case the artifacts are dangerous to the community where it is located."

"Yes, fine." Hermione quickly said brushing the conversation away. "What's going on here? Am I being fired or something?"

There were worry and anger in her eyes at not being informed about the situation taking place before them.

"Oh, no, ofcourse not." Kingsley answered her. "You're being moved to a better direction at this season at the Minsitry."

"Being moved?" Hermione repeated incredulously. "What's being moved? I'm not an object – why am I being-"

"No, Hermione, calm down – listen to me-"

"Calm down?" Hermione asked eyes wide. "Calm down? Seriously?"

"Hermione-"

"Lastnight, I recall my office was all intact and I come down here this morning to see all my things being taken out of my office and taken god knows where- "

"Your things are being taken two floors up."

"Two floors up?" Hermione repeated. "Isn't that penthouse vacated with nothing but-"

"But archives and books of the Ministry." Kingsley finished for her. "Yes. And it's now being furnished and fashioned into a penthouse that will be made out of a library and two offices."

"Two offices?" Hermione asked not understanding. "What's going on? Why the hell am I being moved up there?"

"But didn't you want your office space to be there long before?" Kingsley asked back. "Didn't you want easy and open access to the archives that weren't available before?"

"Yes, but – wait, what?" Hermione asked then her eyes bright. "You mean I can check the books and archives upstairs?"

"Yes, ofocurse." Kingsley replied with a smile. "You are now allowed special access to all of it to enable you and help you guide and assist Mr. Laufeyson with everything that he-"

"With what?!" Hermione now asked very loudly that people around them stared.

Suddenly, she was being moved up to the office location of her dreams that she was never given and access to old archives and books of the Ministry that was never available for her or for Harry as they were being secretly kept and now everything was available for her at the request of the Laufeyson man?

What influence did he really have over the Ministry and everyone else for him to enable to convince the Minister something neither she nor Harry was able to do so?

She had been wondering if it was magic or money that had been working around and for Loki Laufeyson or perhaps both for him to gain people's trust in such a very short period of time.

Harry had been right, he was charismatic and he knew it very well and knew how to use what resources he had to gain things around him.

"I'm working with Laufeyson?" she asked the Minister wondering if her hate was truly growing back now after lastnight's nice dinner with the man.

"Yes." Kingsley answered her excitedly. "He's already upstairs, settling at his office and he said that you can come any time to organize your own office and he wouldn't mind-"

"Wait, he's what? Where?" Hermione asked needing to have everything slowly and clearly repeated to her because her brains seemed to be lagging when it came to the man and the things that he has planned out for them without her go-to and knowledge at all or approval at the least.

Before Hermione could really comprehend everything, she had found herself breathlessly marching to the upper floor to her new office location where she was sure to find the arrogant, spoiled and mysterious piece of mystery.

"Laufeyson!" Hermione' voice rang out loudly the moment the elevator doors sprang open at the Penthouse floor. "Laufeyson!"

She literally hopped out of the elevators while her eyes moved towards people moving and carrying her things to a glass double doors that she supposed was her new office.

Her eyes widened at the nice expansion and changed interior of her dream office space and she almost forgot the reason why she came up that floor.

"Laufeyson!" Hermione called out again seeing the man across the room and animatedly talking to a handful of people.

They weren't Ministry officials but they were looked looked well groomed and were wearing uniforms enough to tell her that they were also important people.

Hermione slowly her pace and forced herself back into a calm composure as she stalked nearer the man who was wearing all the smile in the world as he seemed to happily explain something to the group of five or six of people around him.

"Oh there she is!" he suddenly called out seeing Hermione from across the room.

Hermione stopped her pacing as the man himself pointed at her direction and happily went over to her saying some things that she could hardly understand.

Everyone else followed suit and soon, Hermione found herself surrounded by seven men who looked excited right up at her direction.

"What's going on?" she asked him with a stern look.

Loki suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace as if it's their usual greeting that she was too shock to even say anything about it.

Soon enough, she found herself shaking hands with the other men in the room as Loki said their names in a fast pace and her name to everyone else.

"She's very brilliant, I tell you. Young and brilliant, highly recommended by their government. You wouldn't want any other executive for this project." Loki happily said as everyone nodded and gazed at her.

Hermione's eyes were fast and keen enough and noticed the different badges from the uniforms of the men.

They were from various of wizarding government – one from Slovania, one from Bulgaria that she was familiar with through Krum before, the oldest and stern looking one was from Russia, the blonde and youngest looking one was from Denmark and the two other were from countries she barely saw from the badge symbol.

"Project?" Hermione repeated trying to remain calm but deep inside she was already planning Loki's murder. "What project?"

"The project my sweet dear for which I've come for to your government." Loki said with a gleeful smile from his charming face.

Hermione opened her mouth but before she could say anything, the elder woman from the other Ministry department she knew only by face came up to them and said that 'tea and biscuits' were already ready at Loki's welcoming office.

"Shall we, gentlemen?" Loki offered with a smile as he gestured to the direction that the elder witch walked to.

They nodded excitedly as the elder woman began to explain the type of things that they were about to consume.

"You." Hermione muttered finally turning to the man who looked back at her with an innocent façade.

"How do you like your new office?" Loki asked her with a nod to himself and all the possible gloating he could wear over his face at that moment .

"My new office?" Hermione asked him with wide eyes. "I didn't want that. I wasn't asking – I _never_ asked you for anything-"

"But you needed it." Loki said. "And everyone else seemed to know that it is the place you would like to work the most. Very comfortable indeed, I've been there and the view from the top is just majestic."

His eyes nodded from her face and then they moved up and down her.

Hermione's blood boiled even more.

She walked forward him while he smiled wider down at her as if her anger fueled his contentment and happiness.

"You can go fuck yourself up but I'm not bloody working for you." Hermione muttered through gritted teeth poking him over the chest.

Loki suddenly grasped her wrist and lowered his face close to her.

Hermione recoiled and tugged her arm back but Loki refused to let her go.

"Let my arm- I'm going to scream-"

"And tell them what?" Loki gently asked her with a small smile. "And tell them what, Hermione Granger?"

His voice was low and barely a whisper but he didn't look like he was about to harm her.

If any, he looked like he was trying to entice, to lure her for something.

"I'm going-" Hermione began unable to think of the right word to tell him off. "I'm going to-"

"I told you already I have a work and purpose here and I'd need your help." Loki said letting her go and straightening his black suit down with a smile over his face. "I thought I've got that down and agreed lastnight?"  
"Agreed?" Hermione repeated as the lastnight's happenings flashed before her eyes. "Yes, but I was – I didn't want-"

"You didn't want the Penthouse office?" Loki interrupted her with a knowing smile. "Really? Really, Hermione?"

Hermione opened her mouth in protest but no right words seemed to come up to her.

He was right about the project he talked to her about, he was alright perfectly down and right about the new location of her new office that perfectly loved to the bones and he was absolutely right at adamantly a lot of other countless things.

She couldn't even remember when he got that close to her that he knew more things than one about her and her wants and needs.

"Well?" Loki's voice called her back down to earth. "Am I right or am I right?"

"I hope you realize." Hermione slowly and said in barely a whisper as she saw Kingsley coming up the floor and coming their way "That you are very, very goddamn conceited and that you can't buy me this way."

Loki stared at her, amused.

"Who said anything about buying you?" Loki asked her seeing her anticipation at Kingsley's direction. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked him back crossing her arms over her chest and trying to stand taller to match his height. "What do you know of what I want?"

"Because you're the perfectly right person for the job. You've been rallying and wearing that face since the auction of the Desiderate."

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

She didn't understand what he was saying at all but before she could even ask him, Kingsley has finally reached them and was staring at them both with utmost happiness in his face.

"Ready for general meeting, Miss Granger?" he asked her.

"What meeting?" Hermione asked back.

Now she was completely lost.

The Minister himself looked expectant of her and was slightly disappointed that she seemed not to have done her assignment.

"Charity projects?" the Minister offered her. "Housing for Retired Aurors? Market Finance for the elderly women of old Slovakia? Welfare Contracts for the Elves? Project Department for Retired and Unemployed Werewolves?"

Hermione opened her mouth, eyes wide at the projects mentioned.

These were the projects she tried to propose and pass at their government and were never checked or even read by the first council of the Wizengamot.

Even Harry Potter's influence on them couldn't do a thing about it.

And right now, she was being told that she was going to be gathered and be working with Loki to ensure that these projects are began and funded enormously.

Exactly how much did the man donate at their government?

She stared at the Minister and back at Loki who was now reading a long list that the Minister had handed him after a fair greeting to the man.

"I think you need to talk to Mr. Laufeyson more on these projects." Kingsley said giving her a nod seeing a few other Ministry officials come up to the conference room. "I need to check attendance of everyone. Mr. Laufeyson?"

"Oh yes, yes." Loki replied shaking his head and smiling gleefully at him with a small movement of his head that noted his sleek black hair. "I'll see you in a while, Minister."

Hermione heavily sighed and waited as patiently as she could until the Minister was out of earshot before turning back to Loki.

"Exactly how much did you buy my government?" she asked knowing how stupid that must have sounded.

His alluring eyes moved from the parchment he was reading and back at her.

He closed the folder back and handed it to her with a heavy thug towards her arms as he closed their gap altogether with a mischievous grin over his face.

"Don't be ridiculous." Loki sweetly said as he reached forward her and arranged her bangs that was out of place before resting his gentle fingers over her cheeks. "Ofcourse I didn't buy your government."

"Oh, bite me." Hermione snapped back at him shoving his hands away from her face.

"Would you like me to?" Loki asked her with a glint in his eyes and a coy smile.

Hermione stared hard back at him and recoiled yet again.

Loki threw his head back in what was supposedly an alluring laughter.

He stopped and stared back at her with keen eyes.

"Come on, Hermione." Loki said with a smile again, that gentle and familiar and more friendly smile at her as he offered his hand at her direction. "I won't harm you, I won't bite you."

He extended his hand to her, willingly waiting for her to take it.

Hermione stared up at his direction and now they were alone again, the man he knew and talked to the previous night was back – the gentle, friendly and warm looking man.

"Hermione." his tone was ever warm and serious. "Come now."

His fingers gently moved asking her to come closer to him.

Hermione was reluctant but he looked sincere this time around.

"I can't believe you bought your way in the Ministry." Hermione commented at him but she looked ready to give in any moment. "You must have spent a lot on this."

Her eyes moved to his hand and Loki stared at her, waiting like a lion ready to pounce at her.

"I didn't buy your government." Loki said with a warm tone meeting her eyes so she can see the truth in his words.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Hermione asked him with a challenging gaze. "Really?"

"Yes." Loki replied. "Because I didn't buy your goddamned government. I offered my services and a handful of people wanted what I had to offer."

Hermione smirked, shaking her head at him.

"I'm sure they were really willing to take your offer." Hermione said biting her lower lip at him.

Loki smiled at her.

"So how insane exactly is the amount you've come up and used to these people as your offering to your services?" Hermione said.

Loki laughed hard at her.

"You won't stop, won't you?" Loki asked her.

Hermione shook her head at him.

"Not a chance." Hermione coyly replied well aware that this was now in the line of flirting.

She berated herself inside her head and knew that she must speak to Harry the first chance she gets.

He shook his head at her and moved closer to her.

"You really want to know?" he asked her with a glint in his black eyes.

"Yes." Hermione answered truthfully. "How much did you have to offer for everyone else to say yes to whatever you had to ask them to do?"

He stared at her for a moment, then his expression broken into a wide smile as if Christmas had come early.

And then he inched closer and without warning, grabbed her hand to his and placed it over his lips with a brush and playful kiss before merely just grasping it and keeping it in the inside of his palm.

"Oh, Hermione Granger… I'd do anything for this project." Loki said with a gleeful and confident smile at her.

Their eyes meet yet again and Hermione saw what she had been unsure of seeing from him – an excited, genuine smile that of an excited man for something he had for others.

"How insane, Loki?" she asked him without breaking their gazes.

He smiled at her remembering her mother who always squeezed the truth out of her.

He pressed her hand firmly inside his before keeping her close as he led her back to the conference room where the meeting was to take place.

"A ridiculously, ridiculous insane amount that you'd think I'm a god who has more than enough gold to last us both a lifetime."

 **Chapter XII**

 **The Penthouse Office**

The night had been quiet and Hermione had to admit to herself that she was able to go through sleep that night without being bothered by her usual dreams.

Harry had sent her a letter that a very short business trip with would take place the following morning and he might be returning late the following day should she need his company and wonder where he was at.

Hermione sent a quick " _Take care and dinner when you get back"_ note back to her bestfriend before going to the nearest café near the Ministry before going to work.

Everything had been fine and alright when upon entering the Ministry building, taking and leaving the lift in her office floor did something eventful happen.

A few wizards were seen at the lobby carrying, moving and taking things around.

She would have ignored it all until she realized that her favourite box of stocked books was being carried out from the direction of her office.

"Hold on – hey, wait! Wait – what's going – _HEY!"_ Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs as she tiptoed fast forward with her bag, parchments at hand and warm cup of joe in other hand towards the group of men carrying things around the lobby.

She halted right outside her office door where men were hauling her things out of her office and moving them all out and up into the hallway leading to the elevators.

"What is going on here?" she asked looking wildly around and staring at Kingsley at the end of the hallway talking to a man she wasn't familiar with.

"Oh, hello Miss Granger." greeted one of the old wizards moving her things. "We are just bringing you things to your new office. Would you like us to unbox them or you'll do them?"

"Would I like to what?" Hermione asked eyes wide and not meaning to sound offensive to the old man.

"Mr. Richards!" Kingsley called from the side of the hall. "You can continue, I will talk to Miss Granger."

Hermione turned from the Minister then back at the man who smiled and nodded at her.

Hermione opened her mouth but could only wordlessly watch as her things were being carried out of her old and small office.

"I'm sorry, what is going on?" she asked in a demanding tone knowing Harry wasn't there for the day to help her out. "Does Harry know about this?"

"No." Kingsley honestly answered her as he reached her. "I was about to tell him but he left very early for the trip with the Aurors to check a site that has been said to contain some old Dark Artifacts. They needed to go there as soon in case the artifacts are dangerous to the community where it is located."

"Yes, fine." Hermione quickly said brushing the conversation away. "What's going on here? Am I being fired or something?"

There were worry and anger in her eyes at not being informed about the situation taking place before them.

"Oh, no, ofcourse not." Kingsley answered her. "You're being moved to a better direction at this season at the Minsitry."

"Being moved?" Hermione repeated incredulously. "What's being moved? I'm not an object – why am I being-"

"No, Hermione, calm down – listen to me-"

"Calm down?" Hermione asked eyes wide. "Calm down? Seriously?"

"Hermione-"

"Lastnight, I recall my office was all intact and I come down here this morning to see all my things being taken out of my office and taken god knows where- "

"Your things are being taken two floors up."

"Two floors up?" Hermione repeated. "Isn't that penthouse vacated with nothing but-"

"But archives and books of the Ministry." Kingsley finished for her. "Yes. And it's now being furnished and fashioned into a penthouse that will be made out of a library and two offices."

"Two offices?" Hermione asked not understanding. "What's going on? Why the hell am I being moved up there?"

"But didn't you want your office space to be there long before?" Kingsley asked back. "Didn't you want easy and open access to the archives that weren't available before?"

"Yes, but – wait, what?" Hermione asked then her eyes bright. "You mean I can check the books and archives upstairs?"

"Yes, ofocurse." Kingsley replied with a smile. "You are now allowed special access to all of it to enable you and help you guide and assist Mr. Laufeyson with everything that he-"

"With what?!" Hermione now asked very loudly that people around them stared.

Suddenly, she was being moved up to the office location of her dreams that she was never given and access to old archives and books of the Ministry that was never available for her or for Harry as they were being secretly kept and now everything was available for her at the request of the Laufeyson man?

What influence did he really have over the Ministry and everyone else for him to enable to convince the Minister something neither she nor Harry was able to do so?

She had been wondering if it was magic or money that had been working around and for Loki Laufeyson or perhaps both for him to gain people's trust in such a very short period of time.

Harry had been right, he was charismatic and he knew it very well and knew how to use what resources he had to gain things around him.

"I'm working with Laufeyson?" she asked the Minister wondering if her hate was truly growing back now after lastnight's nice dinner with the man.

"Yes." Kingsley answered her excitedly. "He's already upstairs, settling at his office and he said that you can come any time to organize your own office and he wouldn't mind-"

"Wait, he's what? Where?" Hermione asked needing to have everything slowly and clearly repeated to her because her brains seemed to be lagging when it came to the man and the things that he has planned out for them without her go-to and knowledge at all or approval at the least.

Before Hermione could really comprehend everything, she had found herself breathlessly marching to the upper floor to her new office location where she was sure to find the arrogant, spoiled and mysterious piece of mystery.

"Laufeyson!" Hermione' voice rang out loudly the moment the elevator doors sprang open at the Penthouse floor. "Laufeyson!"

She literally hopped out of the elevators while her eyes moved towards people moving and carrying her things to a glass double doors that she supposed was her new office.

Her eyes widened at the nice expansion and changed interior of her dream office space and she almost forgot the reason why she came up that floor.

"Laufeyson!" Hermione called out again seeing the man across the room and animatedly talking to a handful of people.

They weren't Ministry officials but they were looked looked well groomed and were wearing uniforms enough to tell her that they were also important people.

Hermione slowly her pace and forced herself back into a calm composure as she stalked nearer the man who was wearing all the smile in the world as he seemed to happily explain something to the group of five or six of people around him.

"Oh there she is!" he suddenly called out seeing Hermione from across the room.

Hermione stopped her pacing as the man himself pointed at her direction and happily went over to her saying some things that she could hardly understand.

Everyone else followed suit and soon, Hermione found herself surrounded by seven men who looked excited right up at her direction.

"What's going on?" she asked him with a stern look.

Loki suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace as if it's their usual greeting that she was too shock to even say anything about it.

Soon enough, she found herself shaking hands with the other men in the room as Loki said their names in a fast pace and her name to everyone else.

"She's very brilliant, I tell you. Young and brilliant, highly recommended by their government. You wouldn't want any other executive for this project." Loki happily said as everyone nodded and gazed at her.

Hermione's eyes were fast and keen enough and noticed the different badges from the uniforms of the men.

They were from various of wizarding government – one from Slovania, one from Bulgaria that she was familiar with through Krum before, the oldest and stern looking one was from Russia, the blonde and youngest looking one was from Denmark and the two other were from countries she barely saw from the badge symbol.

"Project?" Hermione repeated trying to remain calm but deep inside she was already planning Loki's murder. "What project?"

"The project my sweet dear for which I've come for to your government." Loki said with a gleeful smile from his charming face.

Hermione opened her mouth but before she could say anything, the elder woman from the other Ministry department she knew only by face came up to them and said that 'tea and biscuits' were already ready at Loki's welcoming office.

"Shall we, gentlemen?" Loki offered with a smile as he gestured to the direction that the elder witch walked to.

They nodded excitedly as the elder woman began to explain the type of things that they were about to consume.

"You." Hermione muttered finally turning to the man who looked back at her with an innocent façade.

"How do you like your new office?" Loki asked her with a nod to himself and all the possible gloating he could wear over his face at that moment .

"My new office?" Hermione asked him with wide eyes. "I didn't want that. I wasn't asking – I _never_ asked you for anything-"

"But you needed it." Loki said. "And everyone else seemed to know that it is the place you would like to work the most. Very comfortable indeed, I've been there and the view from the top is just majestic."

His eyes nodded from her face and then they moved up and down her.

Hermione's blood boiled even more.

She walked forward him while he smiled wider down at her as if her anger fueled his contentment and happiness.

"You can go fuck yourself up but I'm not bloody working for you." Hermione muttered through gritted teeth poking him over the chest.

Loki suddenly grasped her wrist and lowered his face close to her.

Hermione recoiled and tugged her arm back but Loki refused to let her go.

"Let my arm- I'm going to scream-"

"And tell them what?" Loki gently asked her with a small smile. "And tell them what, Hermione Granger?"

His voice was low and barely a whisper but he didn't look like he was about to harm her.

If any, he looked like he was trying to entice, to lure her for something.

"I'm going-" Hermione began unable to think of the right word to tell him off. "I'm going to-"

"I told you already I have a work and purpose here and I'd need your help." Loki said letting her go and straightening his black suit down with a smile over his face. "I thought I've got that down and agreed lastnight?"  
"Agreed?" Hermione repeated as the lastnight's happenings flashed before her eyes. "Yes, but I was – I didn't want-"

"You didn't want the Penthouse office?" Loki interrupted her with a knowing smile. "Really? Really, Hermione?"

Hermione opened her mouth in protest but no right words seemed to come up to her.

He was right about the project he talked to her about, he was alright perfectly down and right about the new location of her new office that perfectly loved to the bones and he was absolutely right at adamantly a lot of other countless things.

She couldn't even remember when he got that close to her that he knew more things than one about her and her wants and needs.

"Well?" Loki's voice called her back down to earth. "Am I right or am I right?"

"I hope you realize." Hermione slowly and said in barely a whisper as she saw Kingsley coming up the floor and coming their way "That you are very, very goddamn conceited and that you can't buy me this way."

Loki stared at her, amused.

"Who said anything about buying you?" Loki asked her seeing her anticipation at Kingsley's direction. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked him back crossing her arms over her chest and trying to stand taller to match his height. "What do you know of what I want?"

"Because you're the perfectly right person for the job. You've been rallying and wearing that face since the auction of the Desiderate."

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

She didn't understand what he was saying at all but before she could even ask him, Kingsley has finally reached them and was staring at them both with utmost happiness in his face.

"Ready for general meeting, Miss Granger?" he asked her.

"What meeting?" Hermione asked back.

Now she was completely lost.

The Minister himself looked expectant of her and was slightly disappointed that she seemed not to have done her assignment.

"Charity projects?" the Minister offered her. "Housing for Retired Aurors? Market Finance for the elderly women of old Slovakia? Welfare Contracts for the Elves? Project Department for Retired and Unemployed Werewolves?"

Hermione opened her mouth, eyes wide at the projects mentioned.

These were the projects she tried to propose and pass at their government and were never checked or even read by the first council of the Wizengamot.

Even Harry Potter's influence on them couldn't do a thing about it.

And right now, she was being told that she was going to be gathered and be working with Loki to ensure that these projects are began and funded enormously.

Exactly how much did the man donate at their government?

She stared at the Minister and back at Loki who was now reading a long list that the Minister had handed him after a fair greeting to the man.

"I think you need to talk to Mr. Laufeyson more on these projects." Kingsley said giving her a nod seeing a few other Ministry officials come up to the conference room. "I need to check attendance of everyone. Mr. Laufeyson?"

"Oh yes, yes." Loki replied shaking his head and smiling gleefully at him with a small movement of his head that noted his sleek black hair. "I'll see you in a while, Minister."

Hermione heavily sighed and waited as patiently as she could until the Minister was out of earshot before turning back to Loki.

"Exactly how much did you buy my government?" she asked knowing how stupid that must have sounded.

His alluring eyes moved from the parchment he was reading and back at her.

He closed the folder back and handed it to her with a heavy thug towards her arms as he closed their gap altogether with a mischievous grin over his face.

"Don't be ridiculous." Loki sweetly said as he reached forward her and arranged her bangs that was out of place before resting his gentle fingers over her cheeks. "Ofcourse I didn't buy your government."

"Oh, bite me." Hermione snapped back at him shoving his hands away from her face.

"Would you like me to?" Loki asked her with a glint in his eyes and a coy smile.

Hermione stared hard back at him and recoiled yet again.

Loki threw his head back in what was supposedly an alluring laughter.

He stopped and stared back at her with keen eyes.

"Come on, Hermione." Loki said with a smile again, that gentle and familiar and more friendly smile at her as he offered his hand at her direction. "I won't harm you, I won't bite you."

He extended his hand to her, willingly waiting for her to take it.

Hermione stared up at his direction and now they were alone again, the man he knew and talked to the previous night was back – the gentle, friendly and warm looking man.

"Hermione." his tone was ever warm and serious. "Come now."

His fingers gently moved asking her to come closer to him.

Hermione was reluctant but he looked sincere this time around.

"I can't believe you bought your way in the Ministry." Hermione commented at him but she looked ready to give in any moment. "You must have spent a lot on this."

Her eyes moved to his hand and Loki stared at her, waiting like a lion ready to pounce at her.

"I didn't buy your government." Loki said with a warm tone meeting her eyes so she can see the truth in his words.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Hermione asked him with a challenging gaze. "Really?"

"Yes." Loki replied. "Because I didn't buy your goddamned government. I offered my services and a handful of people wanted what I had to offer."

Hermione smirked, shaking her head at him.

"I'm sure they were really willing to take your offer." Hermione said biting her lower lip at him.

Loki smiled at her.

"So how insane exactly is the amount you've come up and used to these people as your offering to your services?" Hermione said.

Loki laughed hard at her.

"You won't stop, won't you?" Loki asked her.

Hermione shook her head at him.

"Not a chance." Hermione coyly replied well aware that this was now in the line of flirting.

She berated herself inside her head and knew that she must speak to Harry the first chance she gets.

He shook his head at her and moved closer to her.

"You really want to know?" he asked her with a glint in his black eyes.

"Yes." Hermione answered truthfully. "How much did you have to offer for everyone else to say yes to whatever you had to ask them to do?"

He stared at her for a moment, then his expression broken into a wide smile as if Christmas had come early.

And then he inched closer and without warning, grabbed her hand to his and placed it over his lips with a brush and playful kiss before merely just grasping it and keeping it in the inside of his palm.

"Oh, Hermione Granger… I'd do anything for this project." Loki said with a gleeful and confident smile at her.

Their eyes meet yet again and Hermione saw what she had been unsure of seeing from him – an excited, genuine smile that of an excited man for something he had for others.

"How insane, Loki?" she asked him without breaking their gazes.

He smiled at her remembering her mother who always squeezed the truth out of her.

He pressed her hand firmly inside his before keeping her close as he led her back to the conference room where the meeting was to take place.

"A ridiculously, ridiculous insane amount that you'd think I'm a god who has more than enough gold to last us both a lifetime."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Notes:**_

 _ **I AM ALIVE!**_

 _ **YES, YES I AM ALIVE.**_

 _ **I haven't been online to write for 3 major reasons:**_

 _ **1) It's summer in my country and the students are flooding in for music lessons and my schedule is jampacked  
2) I have FINALLY found a highrise unit I can move into. Yes, i'm an adult now and am moving out on Monday (and yes I haven't pcked a single damn thing because of my teaching schedule)  
3) Writer's block.**_

 _ **I guess i'm too caught up with work and this whole moving out from home thing after 20 something years. It's finally happening and i'm too busy with my teaching gigs to even actually embrace and realize the concept of it.  
it took me a decade to live in a place I hated so much and pray every living day of my life there that I get to leave the place and now it's actually happening.  
it's in a high rise unit right across my brother's old uni and hey at MY FAVE end of town and walking distance from the café I always write in.**_

 _ **yes, yes!**_

 _ **can you feel the intensity of my excitement? hahaha**_

 _ **anyway i'm posting now because I feel the need to do this for this fic.**_

 _ **has anyone watched AVENGERS INFINITY WAR?**_

 _ **To those who has watched it, I have to tell you that after that first ten minutes of the movie, I've completely hated it and lost interest with the rest. i'm blunt honest and you know why that is...**_

 _ **for those who hasn't, I won't spoil but you'd get to understand why I said that.**_

 _ **anyhow, living here and alive and can't wait to move out.**_

 _ **drop by and say hi!**_

 _ **lots of love**_

 _ **xx**_

 **Chapter XIII**

 **Café Italianna**

The meeting had lasted about three hours for which only came to an end when Hermione realized that most members were already looking forward to a late lunch that was being served by the catering service that Loki Laufeyson had asked for to be delivered and done for the day's meeting.

Hermione had sat in the full three hours listening to ideas, to proposals and suggestions and the financing ways and support they could possibly get by means and ways of advertisements they could do for the projects that had been tackled and talked upon.

More than 50% of her well thought out plans and programs that had been neglected and completely ignored by the government and Wizengamot had been tackled over the table meeting today to her gut-surprise.

But what was even more surprising was the way people handled the subject for the meeting – they were all serious and eager to begin and give off their suggestions.

This was nowhere the attitude of the people and heads of government to whom she sent letters and proposed these plans to.

Suddenly, everyone else seemed to take it seriously or have a better suggestion for her own proposals and most of all, taking it seriously as if it were a matter of priority and urgency at the moment.

She answered certain questions and gave her suggestions and oopinions over the table at the meeting but couldn't help but steal glances towards Loki's direction who – throughout the meeting – only stared at her twice and merely spoke professionally over the table regarding the topic at hand.

As she sat there across the table from him, she realized how good of a leader he could possibly be someday should he decide to run for any kind of position at all.

Her whole being turned every time he spoke – bluntly, straight to the point and almost excruciatingly bare of restrictions to his suggestions and opinions about matters or rather certain people.

He spoke with everyone in the room clinging in to the words he was saying and everyone took him seriously.

Hermione stared, questioning his existence in the room.

How she both hated the feeling he was there and yet grateful he was for she knew that whatever he had done or offered the government, it surely turned their opinion on the charitable projects she had offered and proposed to them to take action of years ago.

"I guess that's done about now, isn't it?"

Hermione looked up and recognized Loki's voice in his own accent and saw him straightening his suit and shaking hands with certain people around the room.

"You're leaving?" Hermione asked loudly without meaning to sound so surprised or personal about it.

Some eyes turned to her but Loki kept his cool as he finished his small talk with the Minister and shook his head and turned to her while others patted him over the back to bid their goodbye.

"Why, yes, Miss Granger." Loki said addressing her properly now they were with other people. "Some business needed tending to. My hands are very full and my itinerary is quite.. a list."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out and Loki had suddenly turned away from her and was busy bidding his goodbye with the other government people.

She stared and couldn't help but wonder what she could possibly to gain his attention once more which made her question her own feelings for a very brief moment.

She watched from where she stood at his body language and the way he shook hands and smiled and talked to the people around him – very professional, ,very business-like and gentleman in a manner and yet, there was no trace of that man she constantly talks to at their small coffee and dinner dates.

He stood there, paying no attention to her as if she doesn't matter in any way.

Hermione bit her lip and realized she hated herself for feeling that way.

Exactly, what was she expecting of him?

They had a lunch, some coffee time and yes, some dinner but these weren't really considered a date as they mostly spoke about business and his plans for charity and nothing more than that.

Suddenly, he seemed distant from her and obviously entertaining everyone else in the room but her.

Hermione rolled her eyes in her annoyance at the situation and at herself on whatever she had been expecting from him.

He wasn't paying her any attention at all and she found herself looking for it.

She passed on the special lunch tray that were being served to everyone at the table and she hurried to get her coat and scarf to follow Loki and some of the Ministry officials out of the conference room as he gave more answers to certain queries and he had some things he wanted enlisted for his own research for certain parts of the projects.

"I thought we'll head back at the café to write Ron a letter?" Harry asked her as she handed him her own lunch tray and quickly moved out of her chair.

"Send yours." Hermione said remembering suddenly that it was the day that they usually send Ron their own letters for the sake of the friendship they once had and the only means of catching up they could do to their other bestfriend.

"Hermione-"

"I'll send mine tonight." Hermione quickly said giving Harry a look before he nodded understandingly back at her.

"I'll see you later then." Harry simply mumbled knowing where she was going in such a hurry and in his mind, was completely disapproving of her present attitude.

Hermione got her coat and scarf and gathered all her scattered things from the table as fast as she could possibly go hoping she didn't leave anything behind or that if she did, Harry would be quick to find it and get it for her.

Her mind spun as she followed them outside of the conference room, down the corridors as they seemed to walk and pace forward and away from the room faster than she could possibly go after them.

She didn't want to call him for his attention but she felt desperate to follow them down knowing that he wasn't even aware of her presence or that he doesn't know that she'd been following them for the past five minutes.

Her brilliant mind suddenly couldn't find an extra question to ask him, to call his attention to so that he'd turn her way and notice that she was trying to catch up to them.

And she wasn't even sure what to tell him should that incident happen.

She paced behind them, quietly following suit a few feet from them to not gain too much attention and attentively observed him and the way he spoke to the gentlemen around him.

They all seemed to be enamored by him and his name alone and in Hermione's opinion, every word he says were being bought by everyone she possibly knew in this government office.

He had such an enigma and charm in him and she wasn't going to deny that.

They reached the corridor with the elevators and Hermione halted feet from them to make sure they don't see her.

She didn't want them to think she was stalking Loki.

She watched and listened as he led them to the lift, bidding them goodbye and promising them a business-free dinner one of these days and was surprised when he didn't get in the lift himself.

"I do have a place to go with Miss Granger after this." Loki said loud and clear and with a nice smile over his face.

"Ah yes, ofcourse, Miss Granger." one of the Wizengamot members said who had attended the meeting. "You are _fond_ of her?"

There were some smile and understanding at the elder people and Hermione didn't miss that.

Her face slightly turned red but she kept herself hidden behind a large Ministry statue and kept herself still, listening to his answer.

"She's quite…" Loki began with a smile over her face as he kept being interrupted by jeers from the people around him. " _..a challenge."_

Her eyebrows quirked at the adjective used upon her.

She wasn't sure if she was proud, humiliated or annoyed at his blunt answer about her.

She had imagined him calling her a lot of things especially from the words suggested by the men around him but to be called 'a challenge' was something she didn't expect.

"Ah yes, Miss Grange is quite a challenge." a wizard said and there were a few murmurs around. "Young and feisty. Brilliant, too brilliant if you ask me."

"She has always been like that ever since she was young. Wearing her heart and head proudly at the side of her arms." an old wizard piped up. "I saw her school records when she applied at the Ministry and I will personally tell you that if not for her age, she could possibly rally and apply for a Wizengamot position or the Minister of Magic herself give or take a few years more of political and government experience."

"Ah, but she's always been top of her class." one old witch said. "I was at Hogwarts at the year the Triwizard had been held and had been able to talk to some of the professors. Always top of her class, even more intelligent that wonder boy Harry Potter."

" _Harry Potter_?" Loki's voice came and there was a hint of annoyance in his tone that Hermione didn't' miss.

"Her bestfriend." a wizard answered Loki. "That same boy with us at the meeting, Mr. Laufeyson. The young man with the lightning scar over his forehead."

"I see." Loki answered in a low tone. "The one with the glasses."

"They've been friends since their school days, ." a Wizengamot official said. " Quite the trouble the trio of them. I've known their little antics since they were at Hogwarts – quite the trouble they got themselves into – for the sake of saving the day."

"Ah, the hero of her story." Loki said and though the other found it amusing and Loki had a funny tone to it, Hermione felt that he didn't find that little fact funny at all.

"Harry Potter is a war hero." another wizard answered. "The Golden Trio. Bestfriends since Hogwarts days. We always thought and wondered why Miss Granger never really ended up with Mr. Potter."

"Ah, yes, I agree."

"Quite the duo of them if you ask me."

"Brilliant and brave. What a combination their child would be."

There were other references made but Hermione no longer heard the rest as she only then heard the lift came around to their floor.

She heard the lift open up and heard the people enter it and knew that Loki was left alone in by the elevator.

She sighed heavily and was read to walk to the other direction when she heard the footsteps turn slowly and a voice call out her name.

 _"_ _Will you just remain hiding there?"_ he clearly asked in an amused tone.

Knowing they were alone in the corridor, she knew that she was red and busted.

Hermione rolled her eyes, sighing heavily and stopping on her tracks.

"No." Hermione answered as she slowly stepped out, red in the face but still trying to look calm and collected.

She revealed herself and stared at his smug expression at catching her in that position.

"Did no one ever tell you that eavesdropping is highly rude?" he asked with a smile.

She was sure that he was quite amused and not the least irate at what she had done.

"I wasn't eavesdropping." Hermione defended herself with a raised eyebrow and tone. "I was planning to go down and take the lift and then I suddenly remembered that I forgot something."

If there was anything Hermione Granger was ever bad at, it was lying.

And Loki Laufeyson already knew of it.

He smile even wider as he stepped forward her, arms crossed as his tall physique stared down at her as if trying to intimidate her.

" _Stalking_ then." Loki said with another smile but this time it seemed to be more than just a smug look over his face. "I'd prefer that over your white little lie, Miss Granger."

"I wasn't stalking you!" Hermione indignantly said now completely red in the face before him. "Who do you think you are? You got the nerve to tell me I'm stalking you. I'm not stalking you nor do I ever plan on ever doing that to you."

He stared at her, a knowing look from his eyes and smile from the curve of his lips.

"I'm sure." Loki said. "Well, since you're here, let's have some lunch then."

She stared at him, still slightly surprised that his words earlier to the other members weren't a bluff at all.

"They already served it upstairs." Hermione said. "I'm having mine with Harry."

If she had any intention with using Harry's name in the sentence, the man before her certainly didn't seem any way threatened at all.

"Ah, the _bestfriend."_ he said with a silky note in his voice. "Ofcourse, you'd like spending time with him. Like a brother, isn't he? Mighty and valiant Harry Potter as they call him."

Her fists clenched.

She wasn't sure if it was because he was seemingly mocking Harry or because he pointed out to her that he was nothing like a brother to him.

She wasn't even sure why she felt infuriating to his attitude right now towards her.

"He's not my brother." Hermione bluntly said unable to stop herself. "And whatever we have, that's none of your business."

"Ofcourse it's none of my business." Loki said with a nod at her. "You've been friends since you were young. Something about you and that Potter reminds me of my brother and some friend of ours, Lady Sif."

There was something in his memory that made smile that told Hermione that the resemblance and comparison he had just given wasn't something she should be pleased about.

"I'm going. Nice to see you today." Hermione said and was about to move from him when he blocked her way.

"Move." Hermione said irritably but he stepped forward and blocked her completely.

She looked up at him, his seemingly strong chest beneath his suit raising as he inhaled and slowly moving back down as he exhaled with what seemingly was a tensed inhale-exhale movement.

He looked down upon her, their proximity quite close for more than they seem to realize.

"Is there anything else you require of me?" Hermione asked him with a mock in her tone.

"Lunch." Loki said with a smile at her. "Come have lunch with me."

"I'm fine." Hermione said trying to move again but he kept himself in place. "Please move."

He looked down at her, their eyes meeting one another in a complete haze and Hermione realized how beautiful his blue eyes were at that close of a proximity.

They seemed to be more than beautiful but almost celestial.

"I thought we're starting over last night?" he quietly asked her and Hermione couldn't help but notice the change of tone in his voice. "And you heard me tell them we're having lunch now that's why I didn't go with them."

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked him in disbelief. "You told them. You didn't even ask me or tell me about it earlier, didn't you?"

"That's why I'm telling you now." Loki pointed out with a satisfied smirk over his face.

Something there had suddenly become personal, intimate.

"I was.." Hermione tried to find her voice. "You said.. you were.. you just said I'm a challenge. Why would I have lunch with you?"

He stared at her knowing she did hear that word from him.

He smiled, almost mockingly but restrained in a way.

He couldn't be possibly any more amused at the way she was handling things and her reason for refusal of the lunch he had been inviting her into.

Hermione flushed even more.

"See." Hermione said. "You won't even deny it. You find me absolutely, dearly amusing, don't you?"

"On the contrary, I take it seriously. Yes, you heard me. I find you challenging." Loki said in an honest voice. "You're not like.. the rest of them."

"The rest of them." Hermione repeated staring up at him with her blood beginning to boil. "I wouldn't even want to imagine who these unfortunate people are that you're comparing me to. Move, Laufeyson."

He smiled down at her, his body relaxing a bit as he moved closer to her.

"No more of respectable titles now?" he asked her with a hint of smile and laughter in his tone that made Hermione angrier by the moment.

"I said, move." Hermione repeated through gritted teeth.

He continued to stand there as if fascinated by her actions towards her.

Truly, he had never seen anything like her before.

Usually, women – Midgardian or Asgardian alike – they regarded him with fear, with interest and at that very moment, regardless of how she knew him, she felt neither towards him.

"Lunch. Just some lunch, Hermione Granger." he offered yet again and Hermione was sure that sooner, she was going to give away to that offer.

"I have to ask Harry." Hermione said moving a step away from him as he advanced.

"Your boyfriend?" Loki asked her. "Are you talking about another Harry?"

"I meant Harry Potter." Hermione pointed out. "I need to ask him."

"What for?" he asked her back and there was a hint of irritation in his tone. "Can you not do what you want? Does he have a say for everything that you do?"

"Ofcourse not." Hermione irritably snapped at him.

"I thought he wasn't your boyfriend."

"He's not." Hermione snapped at him.

He stared at her, a crooked look over his face.

He brushed the tip of his well-formed nose with his elegant long fingers and sighed at her.

"I'm a little.. confused." he silkily told her showing genuine interest in her words.

"I don't understand why we're still talking about this when I asked you to move." Hermione repeated at him.

"I'm merely curious why his opinion on this matters."

"His opinion on this doesn't matter."

"Well, perhaps why his opinion about us matters-"

"His opinion about us doesn't matter."

"Then I don't see why his opinion over our lunch date still matters."

"His opinion over our lunch date doesn't matter."

"Then he shouldn't tell you what to do and where to be isn't that so?"

"Ofcourse not." Hermione said looking at him as if he was some idiotic person she was talking with. "He doesn't exactly have a say on what I want to do with my life."

"Then nobody would mind if you have a lunch date with me-"

"I said, he doesn't have a say-"

"Good, then it's a lunch date then."

"Fine, it's a lunch date."

"Good. It's a date then."

"Yes, it's a date-"

"Come on now-"

"Wait, it's a what – hold on-"

She stopped just as he had reached forward and grabbed her wrist gently.

She looked back at her, realizing what they had been talking about and how he got her to agree once more to what he wanted.

"You've tricked me." Hermione said in an awe-struck voice. "You little-"

"Mischief?" Loki repeated with a beautiful smile at her.

There was nothing but happiness written all over his face and Hermione couldn't point out if it was genuine or not.

She sighed heavily at her stupidity and knew that this wasn't going anywhere.

"Let's go." Loki said with an excited smile over his face. "I've got things to do and this date is atop the list."

"Yes, a da- wait, a what?" Hermione asked, eyes wide at the realization.

He leaned forward her and his eyes captured her whole being.

At these times, Hermione wasn't sure if his eyes were just tantalizing or there was just something in them that was seemingly hypnotizing her.

He reached and leaned forward, slowly taking her hand into his lips and she just stood there, frozen at the sight of him.

"Please come have lunch with me?" he asked in a gentle tone this time around. , the same gentleman back with her.

Her voice caught up in her throat and she heard the lift open and out came a couple of Ministry officials.

And for the world to see and hear, Loki took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Let me get my coat Miss Granger before we head to our _reserved_ lunch."

The passing people nodded at their direction in recognition of who they met outside the elevators.

Without another word, Loki had turned from her with the same smug smile over his face and the winning moment for which he had once again, cheated her into agreeing into something she didn't even want in the first place.

Or did she not really want?

Hermione returned quite late in the afternoon already from her lunch with Loki Laufeyson.

He had taken her at a café at a side of town she was rarely ever there.

There was a café at what looked like a newly established Riviera scenery and if she was going to be very honest with herself, she had enjoyed the so-called lunch date.

He had taken her to an Italian Café Restaurant and had ordered his usual tribune of – elegant dishes, fresh served cuisine and whatever best wine the place had to offer.

The first hour of the date had been nothing but a debate about the projects and Hermione's constant snippets and snaps of things she didn't like about it for which Loki pointed out that "you don't like me, but you're here because I somewhat interest you' and that was the turning point of the conversation.

She realized that he was right and no point denying it.

So instead, they talked about the projects and she asked him his inspirations for these projects.

"A new world order." as he had described it to her – simplicity, one rule order for everyone and a gallant and presumably pleasurable way of living for everyone no matter the level of their class in the society.

There were parts of his plans that Hermione didn't like and parts that she had to admit interested her for these were mere small ideas she had before and never had the capacity or rather the finances to actually suggest, promote and execute to their government.

She had to admit that somehow, she was growing to be grateful of his existence in their government because he seemed to know how to sit down on a throne and understand what the society, the population and the government needs and needs to do with the resources given to them.

It was almost as if he had been sent by the gods.

"Don't you miss your brother?"

Hermione had asked the question randomly at the near-end of their coffee and icecream dessert.

His eyes turned different, an upturned look over his face that quickly vanished as it had passed.

"He has different priorities." Loki answered her with honesty as he continued to fish out the icecream from his small glass. "He has different plans and different ideas on things."

"I think that's hardly an answer to my question." Hermione said leaning closer to the table and gaining both his gaze and attention. "Do you miss your brother?"

"He doesn't miss me." Loki shortly replied. "Why would I do the same?"

There was something like angst in his tone and in his eyes as he said those words.

It was straight, blunt and true and Hermione relaxed at the true version of Loki that she was seeing for that meant that he was beginning to trust her as he lowers his defenses in a way.

"Why do you ask this impertinent questions?" he asked her putting down his utensils and wiping his mouth with the napkin next to his plate.

He sat back down, eyes away from her and a curl turning at the sides of his lips.

Hermione stared back at him and he vaguely reminded her of Snape who had always looked this way once she or Harry and Ron irritated him about something.

"I never had any siblings." Hermione honestly told him seeing that she needed to redirect her topic. "I always wondered what it felt like, to have a close relationship with such."

"I'm not that close to my brother." Loki interrupted her with spite.

"I don't see it that way." Hermione bluntly told him and his eyes snapped at up at. "More like some unresolved issues. But you do seem to miss him. And I would bet anything in this world that he does feel the same way for you."

"You don't know me, Miss Granger."

"Are we onto titles now?" Hermione asked with a small smile on her lips.

She leaned closer the table, her hands almost touching his across the table.

He looked away again.

"Harry and my other friend Ron are closest to what I can get for a brother." Hermione revealed to him and his eyes suddenly lit up, his face turned to her so quick that it could have hurt him somewhat.

Hermione smiled gently at him.

"Look, Harry is like a brother to me."

"You've already told me that. There is no need to repeat it to me." Loki told her with a small nod of his head.

"I'm not yet done." Hermione told him and her feisty attitude gained his attention once more. "I don't know your intentions, really. But if you would like us to be friends… you've got to be honest with me with a lot of things."

"I am honest with you." Loki said leaning closer the table now and without reservations, he reached out for her hand and held it. "I've been honest with you since I've meet you, Hermione."

"Look, Loki.. this whole thing.." Hermione said unable to burden herself further. "I've just.. things are not just the way.. I don't know you and…"

"Let me cut the chase very short, Hermione." Loki said and his voice suddenly changed. "I am not one to chase around nor play with feelings. I am not fond of that at all."

It was still deep but there was seriousness in them even if his eyes showed nothing but gentle honesty with her.

Hermione slowly turned red, she tried to withdraw her hand back from her but he held it a little tighter, longer.

"Loki-"

"I am interested with you, Hermione." Loki finally said in clear voice with no hint of sarcasm or anything else but plain blunt expression of his feelings. "I am honest with you when I told you that I like you. I really do and I hope that you don't take that against me."

He stared back at her, beautiful blue eyes mesmerizing her and Hermione felt her insides scorching, turning and melting all at the same time.

She realized that she didn't have an answer to that but Loki seemed to have read her mind.

"You don't need to feel the same thing." Loki said with a smile at her as he slowly let her hand go to make her feel more comfortable. "But I've thought I need to let you know about it so that you understand where I am coming from and why I am like this towards you."

"Towards me?" Hermione repeated as she gently move her hand closer to herself.

"I am interested with no one else, Hermione." Loki gently told her making sure their gazes doesn't lose contact. "And if you would allow me to express my genuine intentions and honest feelings with you, I will show you that I can be a reasonable lover."

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth fell open at this very straightforward expression of feelings.

She opened her mouth but no words were coming out of it and Loki didn't seem to care whether she still comprehended the words he was saying.

"I'm honest and reasonable, Hermione. And from the moment I've met you, I'm quite sure of these feelings."

"Feelings.." Hermione blurted out. "Can you just hold.. can you just…"

Hermione felt her chest constricting of pain, of things that she couldn't just comprehend right at that moment.

She had felt and had a hunch that Loki had interest in her and well, for him to bluntly tell her these things or rather feelings, felt awkward for her.

Now she was sure that he wasn't English and that he had come from a different place to be this honest with her about his feelings.

Where the hell did this man come from?

"I don't know what to say." Hermione managed after a while.

"As I've said, you don't have to say anything." Loki said with a curt nod and understanding as he slowly withdraw himself back to his seat, leaning away from her. "But I felt I need to be honest with you with my feelings to keep us from running and walking round in blind spots and trying to figure one another out."

She stared back at him, he was still smiling and she couldn't tell if anything has changed in those feelings after her no-answer kind of answer to him.

"Look, Loki.." she sighed heavily with a smile. "I appreciate this… I really do.. I really do. I'm just not.. I don't know.. I've been working for so long and I'm not sure I can do this.. this.. this requires going out, dating and a lot-"

"Are we not on a date?" Loki asked her with a knowing smile. "Is this not making time for one another as you call it?"

She opened her mouth and closed it.

She was going to lose this battle.

"Are you not interested?" Loki asked her then.

"No.." Hermione said but quickly took it back. "No, yes.. I mean.. what I mean.."

"Tell me exactly what you mean." Loki said with one of those smiles again.

His eyes were straight at her, his intentions full and his attention just with her.

"Feelings.." Hermione began and she felt herself slightly palpitating, "Feelings.. well.. this.. relationship.. I mean.."

She was turning bloody red and she felt horrible about the whole all of It because Loki was listening intently to her, hanging to her words and for the truth in them.

How dare she talk about honesty.

"Are you not interested?"

"It's not like that." Hermione breathed out feeling all the pressure in the world. "It's just that.."

"Be honest with me, Hermione." Loki said with a certain look over his eyes. "Nothing you say might perhaps not affect me anymore."

She stared back at him, truly unknowing on what to tell him.

"Hermione?"

 _"_ _Feelings are a lot of work."_ Hermione suddenly said unable to stop herself as truth came out of her mouth like some leaked dam that couldn't be closed. "It's a lot of work to deal with.. it's.. I don't know.. I've never been… not really and I'm not sure about it."

She stared back at him, breathless and afraid of what he has to say.

But he just stared at her as if what she had just said was something trivial, something very small in comparison to the subject at hand.

Hermione sighed heavily knowing she must've sounded like an idiot and just wanted to take it all back and leave him there.

Loki stared back at her, an unwavering look over his eyes and was unsure how really to answer her answer to him.

He opened his mouth to say something with a smile at the ends of his lips when Hermione held both her hands up to stop him from saying anything.

Loki stared back at her with a look over his face and opened his mouth in another attempt when Hermione interrupted him with her words but just then something happened.

A loud, horrible and grueling and heavy thug and explosion had suddenly come out from nowhere and before Hermione knew it, they were both up blasted off in the air from the impact.

She knew that something horribly had happened right then and there when echoes of screams around her vibrated in her ears and the fiery feel of fire and the blast that ejected them both from their place.

Her eyes very wide as her mind tried to comprehend fast what was happening and before she could even attempt to pull her wand from the inside of her robes, a second explosion happened but this time around it felt different.

Her eyes moved fast and turned to Loki and she caught his eye.

There was no panic nor fear in his eyes – nothing but the look of determination and bravery were written in them.

He had reached out and grasped her tightly around the arms securing her in their proximity as he pulled her to him in that fast motion as the explosion had come.

Hermione felt it was so fast and yet she had lived it in a slow motion.

And before she could black out from the blast of the impact, she felt something like blood graze her cheeks from the glasses that shattered around them, she heard nothing but his voice in her ear with a loud and clear tone.

 _"_ _I've got you_." Loki's voice came with the tight embrace he covered her into as he used his body to shield her from their landing or anything coming their way from the impact.

And everything else turned black.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**Hello readers!**_ _**I'm alive and kicking.**_ _**As I've said so already, this past week had been hectic cause I've been juggling my moving out and work altogether as it is summer and music lessons are selling like hotcakes hahaha.**_ _**And over this weekend, I've finished packing everything I need (and some I don't really) to be moved to my new unit tomorrow morning (been doing it the whole week cause I didn't hire movers cause there weren't furniture to be moved as the high rise unit I got is already furnished and all) so I just need to do my clothes, work stuff, violin and my piano will follow at the end of the month or maybe in two months since it's gonna stay at mom's till she moves out to get her own place before the year ends.**_ _**Anyway, so the unit has a good table and view so I can actually write better and at not so ungodly hours. I'm just gonna need to have the internet connected cause I'm all the way up the 25th floor and signal from my mobile is quite bad hahaha.**_ ___**Anyway.. so here is a chapter.**_ _**I'm still crying all over about Infinity War – HOW COULD THEY?! Ugh. I won't say anything incase some of you haven't watched it yet.**_ _**Anyway, here is a chapter and it'll give you a huge turn of events over this slowburn. This is rather the turning point chapter of the story.**_ _**Do let me know what you think and how your weekend has been alright?**_ ___**Another chapter will be posted within the week or maybe at the end. Depending on how fast I can actually unpack my stuff at the unit and I'm adjusting into transferring accounts and everything else.**_ _**I'm just so busy and so excited about my new home that I ould barely comprehend all these happening all at once.**_ ___**Thank you for reading this now onto the story.**_ ___**Lots of love**_ _**xx**_

 ** _Chapter XIV_**

 ** _Gryffindor Princess & Asgardian Prince _**

_"It's just a crown." a delicate and gentle voice came right behind him._

 _He closed his eyes and nodded to himself as the footsteps became more prominent._

 _"Just a crown." Loki repeated quietly as he tried to take his eyes away from the grand balcony overlooking the feast at below them at the coronation of his brother, Thor._

 _"Well isn't it just so, my son?" Frida asked as she closed her distance to her favourite son._

 _Loki tried to avoid the queen's eyes knowing that he couldn't restrain himself from the growing anger and jealousy in them and knowing that she would know right away._

 _She always know about how he feels._

 _"It's just a crown." Frida repeated a bit clearer and serious in a sense. "Diamonds and gems, stuck around some golden cas-"_

 _"Mother, please." Loki begged her with an agitated look over his face which quickly changed when his eyes passed her gentle face and expression._

 _"Loki."_

 _"I'm sorry." said the younger prince in genuine apology in his fear of hurting the mother that loved her so dearly._

 _In his opinion, his older brother could have every attention and favor of the whole of Asgard and maybe of the other realms but the most important attention and affection of all that mattered above all others was Frida's._

 _And for as long as he had that, despite all his growing jealousy and spite for all the unfair treatment he had been gaining since he was young, nothing else mattered._

 _She gently walked closer and reached out for his hand._

 _They looked at one another and even without words, Frida knew what Prince Loki had been thinking or rather feeling._

 _"You know this day would have come one way or another." Frida said matter-of-factly. "Thor is your brother. Thor is first born son. Have you been the first-"_

 _"I already know this, mother." Loki said with a cut at the edge of his tone. "Please don't repeat this."_

 _"Then you should feel something that is close to nothing in regards to this matter." Frida said touching the end of the prince's handsome face. "I've always expected that you've been the better son, yes?"_

 _"The better son." he muttered with spite but he didn't shove her hand away from his arm. "If I'm the better son why do you let him with what he does? Why do you let him get away with everything?"_

 _"Why do you?" Frida asked him back with a spark in her eyes. "Why do you let your brother? Why do you join him in his escapades beyond the boundaries of Asgard?"_

 _His eyes quickly moved to her with question and fear in them._

 _"Oh yes, I know." Frida said with a smile. "Don't deny it, I've always known. Ofcourse I've known of all these little adventures you've had with your brother since you were little – and even when you are no longer my little boys."_

 _He swallowed hard and tried to avoid her eyes._

 _"You love your brother as much as I do." Frida said with a proud smile at him. "Or perhaps a lot more than I do."_

 _"But not more than father does." Loki shot back at her grinding his teeth in anger._

 _She remained gentle and patient with this son she loved so dearly._

 _She knew him too well and Loki knew how much the queen knew both her sons._

 _"My dear boy-" Frida began with a heavy sigh._

 _"I know mother, I know this already. Don't get me wrong. I am happy…." Loki struggled to continue as he tried to keep his gaze back to the queen. " Proud.. happy and proud of my brother.. it's just that.."_

 _"It's just that your brother is all brawns, isn't it?" she cut him short with a smile. "You are not jealous.. rather confused. You don't envy the throne, Loki. You worry about the throne and what your brother will do with it."_

 _He looked back at her and this time, his eyes slowly turned gentle as if in relief that someone knew and understood how he really felt._

 _Frida never judged his sons – she understood them better than they could in themselves._

 _She smiled at him, that smile he knew too well._

 _He almost smiled back at her but he kept his stance and stand._

 _Loki sighed heavily and lowered his hands from the side of his mother's arms._

 _"It requires a great deal, to become a king." Frida explained to him ensuring she had his full attention as she held his hand. "It requires brawns and bravery. It will require one to lay down his life for a whole race should the time come."_

 _"I am not a coward." Loki coldly said with a glint in his eyes. "Does father think that way?"_

 _She looked back at him, trying to read his thoughts and knowing he would learn to block them and be more powerful than she will ever be._

 _"Please don't use the gifts I gave you against me." Frida gently whispered._

 _His expression changed and he lowered his magical defenses against Frida._

 _Her mother didn't miss it even when he looked away again from her, ashamed of himself._

 _"Thank you." Frida said her eyes hard on him. "And you aren't a coward."_

 _He shook his head, disbelieving her words._

 _"To be a king is to be the first one to die in a battlefield – the first one required to have his life laid out. Thor can handle himself."_

 _"And do you mean that I can't?" he asked back accusingly. "You think I can't handle myself? Father thinks I'm a coward? Do you not think I can protect you?"_

 _His eyes were filled with anger, confusion and desperate plea to be given a chance to prove himself._

 _He was breathless and Frida could just feel all the hatred and hurt surging through his veins._

 _She remained impassive and still as she held him close._

 _"No." Frida firmly said. "I think I will prefer you to be where you are right now than be out there. I think you are far more intelligent than your brother to just die out there."_

 _He blinked, confused than ever._

 _"You lie to me." Loki bitterly said as he recovered and attempted to move away from her. "Is this some form of joke you attempt for me to believe?"_

 _Frida stared back at him, at the son he loved so closely and so dearly._

 _The secret of his birthright was surging way faster than she had anticipated and she wasn't going to be surprised if sooner or later, the real attributes of his race would come out._

 _"You are valuable, my son." Frida began. "Your mind, your strategy… the way the council expect things from you. The way the council heeds and takes your advice into consideration when you are present at their gatherings with your father-"_

 _"Father just needs some lapdog t0-"_

 _"No." Friday cut short with a snap he didn't miss. "Odin requires your presence by his seat because the advice you give and suggestion you provide are significant than the ones given by two or three heads from the council altogether."_

 _"I'm sure-"_

 _"Odin, the king of the realms requires your presence because he knows that your intellect is far more significant than any other's from the council table. Do not underestimate his decisions to put you where you are."_

 _Loki shook his head, spite written all over his face._

 _"Please do not underestimate what you can do for the council, for your father and for Asgard."_

 _His eyes quickly looked back at her as she lowered her arm from him._

 _"Mother-"_

 _"Your mind is far too valuable to be lost in bloodshed in the battlefield for a mere crown."_

 _"The crown that leads a whole kingdom." Loki regretfully whispers back at her._

 _"A sharp mind is far more important than a sharp blade." Frida simply told him with a purse of her lips as it was obvious that she was losing patience over this never-ending argument._

 _She moved away from him knowing that this was an argument that could run its course for the rest of the evening._

 _"Where do you place my value, mother?" Loki asked trying to further block the noise of the celebration from the lower grounds from his ears. "Where?"_

 _Frida stared hard, unblinkingly._

 _"Right behind the future king." Frida honestly said in a clear voice. "Right behind his brawny brother who acts before he thinks. I place your value behind Thor to ensure he survives, that the whole kingdom survives once the king is seated in the throne because his decisions will be based in lieu of the brother right behind him. The brother he loves so dearly and the younger prince of Asgard who loves his brother more than anything else in all of the realms."_

 _Loki's beautiful blue eyes stared hard back at her and slowly turned gentle._

 _Her mother had never lied to him, always honest, blunt and sometimes, even brutal._

 _Frida saw the prince struggle in his cause but already losing in it._

 _"Mother-"_

 _"Thor is first born and he will always have the throne as his birthright. However, I am far more content where you are." Frida coldly told him as if she was speaking to a war-general. "Your mind is far more precious to this kingdom for me to gamble it out onto the world for a mere crown."_

 _"You think my mind is valuable?" he asked with a smirk over his face. "You think my intellect favors the kingdom?"_

 _"No." Frida answered him with a tone. "I think that I'd rather that my favorite son lives longer by ensuring he doesn't gamble himself out there at the battlefield to just die. That is not your birthright."_

 _He gaped back at her, silenced by her true feelings._

 _Loki closed his eyes and sighed heavily, realizing his mistake because he had always been stubborn with this subject._

 _"I'm sorry." Loki sighed turning to her and reaching back to her. "Mother.. I'm sorry.."_

 _"I prefer seeing my favourite son without a crown but with a life that won't be taken away by bloodshed."_

 _"I would lay down my life for the king and queen, for Asgard.." Loki whispered back at her tears almost at the ends of his eyes. "..for my brother."_

 _Frida stared back and hard at him and without warning she tightly embraced him but before he could react, she let him go._

 _"Mother-"_

 _"You can enjoy the party downstairs with your brother or you can mope up with your misery here and be alone yourself. It's really your choice, Loki. But if you would do that, I rather not see it. I cannot bear to see one son celebrate for something trivial and another mourn for something insignificant. If that is so, then I have become a good queen but a failure as a mother."_

 _But before he could say anything else, Frida moved away from him and turned away without another word closing the argument without waiting for him to defend himself any longer._

"Fuck." was the very first word that came out of her mouth the moment her eyes opened.

She tried to move but she felt her body too heavy to move an inch as her head spun with the events she could remember.

There were bits here and there but nothing immediately made sense and when the moment came that they all slowly came back to her, she felt like she needed to get out of the bed and find the answers burning in her head.

She looked around her, eyes wide her fingers trying to feel her surroundings.

Despite the heavy feeling in her body and head she felt she was in a comfortable bed, all her body parts still intact and nothing felt missing in any of her organs.

She slightly relaxed and soon she realized that she was in a private hospital room.

St. Mungo's Hospital for sure.

It took her a moment to fully find her voice and when she did the first word that came to her mouth was his name.

"Loki.." her dry mouth whispered.

A movement came to her side and an image slowly moved to her blurry vision.

"Hermione?" the voice asked in relief.

There was another movement and she heard the buzz and click of something and then another movement at the side of her bed.

"Hermione, it's me." Harry's familiar voice came about. "How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"

"Loki.." she simply repeated at her. "What.. what happened.."

Her voice echoed with a croak, a heavy and painful effort from her throat and she felt Harry's hand hold hers at the side of the bed.

"There was a weird explosion at the café where you were. Aurors immediately came into rescue and it was Kingsley's main team so I was alerted."

"How long have.. how long.." Hermione croaked out, letting Harry's words pass through her head without making full sense of them.

"It's been about twelve hours." Harry explained to her reaching to brush her head to calm her down. "You're at St. Mungo's. The Healers said you'll be alright. No permanent damage but you've got some wounds and scratches from the fall, you'll be fine. But they'd need to take tests to make sure your head is-"

"I'm fine.." Hermione said struggling to get to sit down but Harry gently stopped her telling her that she should just lie down. "Loki.. what.."

"He's fine." Harry assured her. "He's already been out of the hospital."

Her eyes widened then as she blinked several times to see Harry clearly.

Senses came into focus and Harry stood over the bed, holding her closely and he had just retired into some casual clothes.

"Where's he?" she immediately asked. "Is he – he was there.. something.. there was that explosion…"

"The Auror's are still investigating but by far he's alright." Harry explained to her trying to calm her back down the bed. "He's out of the hospital and he was taken at the Ministry for some witness' questioning. I'm sure he's back at his place by now."

"He wasn't injured?" Hermione asked looking back at Harry.

He shook his head with the same confused look over his face.

"Surprisingly, just a bit of scratches." Harry said. "I've seen him only when you were to be taken to the hospital. He barely had any scratch. You're very lucky as the Healers had said – that he was there because you could have been hurt more."

"I heard the loud bang.. " Hermione whispered back at him trying to recall the past several hours. "He was… We were quite close to the explosion."

"Two tables away to be precise." Harry had said. "Everyone else around you were quite injured and five tables away from the explosion, some guy is in danger of losing his eye sight from the debris."

"What?" Hermione asked him in a worried tone. "But how – why-"

"He must have done some quick and fast Protection Charm." Harry suggested. "I really don't know.. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm glad Laufeyson was there with you."

Hermione stared back at him in utter disbelief, trying to think and think hard.

"He didn't have any wand with him." Hermione said looking up at Harry as she clearly remembered that fact. "He doesn't have a wand.. he was—"

"Wandless magic?" Harry suggested although with that powerful blast he knew himself that either he was a very powerful wizard with such skills in wandless magic or he was something else.

He looked back at Hermione and knew that she was thinking the latter.

"This isn't seemingly.." she tried to recall as Harry tried to calm her back down. "… Isn't.. he.. he seems to have different powers, Harry."

"Powers?" Harry asked her back, confused. "Magic?"

"I mean, magic." Hermione put out to him. "I mean.. he seems.. I've never seen him with a wand, never.. wandless magic is possible but.. that'll require him to have advance sort of magic."

"Advance magic?" Harry repeated and when Hermione rolled her eyes at him he knew that she was on her way to physical progress.

"Never mind." Hermione said. "Did he speak to you? To anyone?"

"I thanked him only when I met him back at the emergency room lobby." Harry honestly told her. "I meant to talk to him but he was taken out of the hospital after being tended to. He seems to have recovered fast and completely."

Hermione nodded at him wondering when she would see the man again.

"When can I get out?" she wondered trying to still herself from her trembling senses that was begging her back to rest and sleep.

"I'm not sure." Harry said helping her fix the blanket around her again. "They said that they need a few more runs and tests with your head but it also seemed okay when they checked it. Laufeyson managed to ensure that you don't hit your head back over the ground."

Hermione looked up at him and he only shook his head.

"He's always seemingly right up at the nick of time." Harry suggested with a nod at her as he settled her comfortably back over the bed. "Get some good rest, 'Mione. I'll update you for anything new and if he comes to visit."

"Will you stay the night?" Hermione ask him.

"Yes, ofcourse." Harry said with a yawn as he kissed her over the forehead. "I'll be right here."

It was nearly midnight and Loki stared out onto the vast view of the grand penthouse he had for himself for the past weeks.

The view of the whole city was magnificent and the view of the stars, of the galaxy and universe was almost an ethereal sight to look at and yet it was nothing close to the view of his room back home at Asgaard where they were nearer the stars of the beautiful galaxies.

He remembered his mother who loved him so dearly that she had given him the room with a better view than his brother as they were growing up.

He sighed heavily, tired from the day and a glass of hard Migardian liquor next to him by the penthouse glass window view.

He could just count the minutes and hours for which he was sure that Hermione Granger would be wondering of his whereabouts especially when she'd find out that he had saved her life again and had survived the explosion with hardly any scratch from it.

His brother had been looking for him.

The explosion was his powerful surge that was trying to look for him, trying to breach through this world again but he had blocked him.

He was blocking him from dimension after another and realm after another.

He had learned this magic recently when he left Asgaard and it had been more than helpful from him.

He could tell when Thor was looking for him and yet he would be given a warning of his whereabouts and proximity.

The explosion was one of his attempts to cross through another realm the moment he sensed his brother's magic but he didn't want to be found and so he blocks him with his own magic.

Loki finds it touching and amusing at the same time to know that his brother is looking for him and is failing in doing so.

He didn't want to be found, not really.

He wanted to be away, far from him and the shadowed life he had grown up to because of him.

He wanted to find another world for which he could call his and soon that would happen once this planet succumbs to his will.

He had found his first step and had established himself well and careful enough without raising any doubts and suspicion at all.

He was slowly growing and creeping through the government without their knowledge and was finding connection after another that would lead him to the success of his plans and with one more step he needs, he can find himself king in this world where its citizens don't seem to know and understood the power and success their world possessed.

He had all the resources he would need and he was sure that if all goes well, he wouldn't just have a world to rule, but a queen by his side with such intellect and bravery to stand with him.

It has been two days since the explosion and Hermione was returned to her apartment.

A week of leave from work was required of her and she had no choice but to stay at home under Harry's watchful eyes.

They had a deal that if she would follow orders accordingly, he would let her back to work and not let anyone in the Ministry stop her from doing so because of the accident where rest was still required of her.

She stayed back in her apartment, greeting Harry who visited her every night to bring in some dinner for her and update her about a lot of thing from the office that she could possibly be missing.

It was the Saturday afternoon and she had been cleaning some old newspaper clippings in the living room with some tea and cookies when her doorbell rang up.

"A moment." Hermione called back as she struggled to slowly get back up at her feet.

With a little bit of bandage around her leg, one around her forehead, she slowly limped back from the small living room and back to the hallway to open the door.

The bell rang twice and Hermione laughed to herself thinking it was Harry.

"I thought you're visiting George today." Hermione called back out down the hallway before reaching the door to open it up for her bestfriend.

There was a little struggle as she unlocked her door and the smile over her face quickly turned into a surprise when she opened the door and didn't find Harry there.

"Hello." Loki greeted her with a smile over his handsome face and handing her a bouquet of the same flowers he had given her previously. "I thought I might make a visit to check on you."

His voice was clear with an accent, his long hair down in wavy places and he was wearing another nice black suit today.

One of the black suits that made him even more appealing than Hermione could admit to herself.

"Oh hi.." Hermione greeted back quickly turning red upon seeing him. "I didn't.. how did you.."

"I hope you don't mind I made my visit here." Loki said stepping a few steps up of her apartment as she slowly backed away from the door. "There's too much fuss at that hospital."

"Yeah.. I guess." Hermione muttered unable to take her eyes off from his as she turned red, aware she was in her comfortable night dress since she didn't think that anyone would visit her. "I was led out two days ago."

Loki only nodded at her offering her the bouquet of roses in his hands – the same kind of flowers he had given her before.

Hermione accepted it without a word, wondering where he was getting all these different kind of roses.

"How did you know where I live?" she asked realizing his presence in her very doorstep.

She was a public figure because of her social status but she had tried her best to keep her place as private as possible from everyone.

Only the Weasleys, Kingsley and Harry and Ron knew where she lived.

"Should I not have come here?" he asked her ignoring her inquiry.

"I would like to know how you found out where I live." Hermione demanded then although she didn't really close the door right at his face.

"It's not very hard for me to get any important information I need." Loki said with a bream of confidence all over his face. "Maybe you'd like to let me in?" Loki asked her with his charming smile and accent.

Hermione stared hard back at him, studying him carefully, thinking very hard how he could have found out her address.

"Hermione?" his voice rang her back to him. "Is that too much to ask from you?"

"Sorry.. what.." Hermione said although she slightly moved back from her stance and let him in. "Fine, come in."

"Thank you, I really appreciate your kindness." Loki said with a smile.

She didn't really like to let him in but after all, she wouldn't be standing safe and intact with all her body parts if it wasn't for him.

Loki smiled at her and entered her apartment with a look over his face as he closed the door behind him and locking it in place.

Hermione nodded and smiled at him, still holding the flowers in her hands.

"The house is a bit of mess.." she quickly said nodding towards the living room. "I've been cleaning..I don't usually expect visitors and all..but please.. come in.. I'll make us some tea."

"Actually, I've bought us something." Loki said lifting his other hand and stopping her on her slow tracks.

Hermione turned to him only to realize that he had been holding out a large package of pastries for her.

Her smile widened as she read the brand of the food in his hand.

It was from the café where she met him.

"Your usual favourite." Loki offered her with a nod. "I remembered what you usually ordered. Perhaps a place to set this feast?"

But he didn't wait for her answer as he stepped forward and led himself towards the small dining room area and Hermione followed right behind him without another word.

She entered and found him settling himself comfortably around the apartment as if this was normal between the two of them.

She quietly watched trying not to be obvious as he talked gently about some wine while she tried to observe his eyes that roamed around the room.

Hermione knew that he was discreetly observing his surroundings and taking mental note of everything he was seeing and presumably judging her already by what was in her apartment.

Well, there wasn't much to see – just basic needs and books, loads and loads of them around the whole apartment.

"So, what do you think?" he asked with a wide smile at her.

"What?" Hermione asked red in the face as she was obviously not listening to him.

He looked at her with a peculiar smile over his face and walked closer to her.

He towered her over her own apartment and their close proximity made her feel insecure and uncomfortable again especially after their last conversation.

"I asked if you would allow me to make you some dinner?" Loki asked her with an intent look over his face.

"Dinner?" Hermione repeated. "Did you say take me to dinner or make me some dinner?"

"Make you some dinner." Loki answered her. "I'm not very much good at it, but I'd like to try."

Being a prince had its perks and now its downside.

He had never made a meal for anyone in his entire life but he was determined in his plans and he would do about anything to gain what he had come for in this world.

Despite all that he was and everything that he had to endure, he was willing to be a tad bit more patient and adjust into what his plans would demand.

 _After all, what is the harm of some dinner and swaying of a heart?_

He was Loki Laufeyson, god of Mischief and Prince of Asgard – a little challenge was something he would always go after.

Hermione's eyes widened, a crooked smile at the end of her lips almost as if she was amused by his offer.

"You'd like to make me some dinner this time around?" she repeated with an unconscious playful smile over her lips.

"Yes." he replied with a gentleman's nod. "Only ofcourse if you would allow me. I wouldn't want to force myself to you. I believe we've already had that conversation before all these happened."

His eyes turned to her and nodded over the bandage around her forehead.

Hermione's hand unconsciously shot up around her forehead and she nodded at him.

"I'm getting better." Hermione told him. "And there wasn't really much damage, I'm fine."

"Well that's good to hear." Loki said still waiting for her response. "Unless you prefer a delectable meal outside, I suppose you will allow me to make one for you?"

"I don't feel like going out looking like this."

"But you do look beautiful, my darling." Loki said lifting his hand and was about to reach for her but Hermione quickly moved out of the way.

He noticed the indifference and gesture but he completely ignored it which Hermione found rather bemusing.

She has had suitors of sorts and when rejection had been placed over her window, they usually and gently go away.

But this Laufeyson man was different.

He seemed the type of man who wouldn't take no for an answer and yet there was something about him that Hermione just couldn't completely throw of.

"Very funny." Hermione said crossing her arms over her chest as she looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "You are insistent, aren't you?"

" _I am determined_." Loki corrected her with his own beguiling smile. "I believe I had made my intentions very clear to you. Or is there any other display of affection that you require of me to make it clearer than it already is?"

Hermione stared at him and wasn't sure if she wanted to be swayed by these words or wanted to smack him right over his head.

"Last time we talked, I told you that feelings are a lot of work." Hermione pointed out at him.

"I am a very hardworking person, Hermione." Loki answered back at her.

Hermione threw her head back in a mocking laugh in disbelief of this man's attitude towards her rejection.

"Look, getting a bump in the head doesn't change anything." Hermione said. "I'm sorry, it doesn't change how I feel."

"Then tell me what will make you feel different and change everything?" he whispered in a silky and enticing tone.

Hermione stared back at him, thinking how rejection will be placed perfectly towards this man.

She sighed heavily and tried to contain herself from yelling at him.

"You don't even know me and yet you confess all these?" Hermione asked him. "You might be making a mistake and regret it completely."

"I barely make mistakes, Hermione." Loki pointed out at her as he advanced towards her. "I get what I want to there are no spaces for regrets."

"Really?" Hermione shot back at him, her nerves cracking up at his response and way of handling things.

"I believe getting to know a person would work through time. I don't need basic introduction and childish whims of courting." Loki honestly answered her. "I'm offering all these for you so that I can dedicate my time for you so we can get to know each other even more. All I ask is for you to give me a chance to prove myself."

"Sounds fancy to me." Hermione said with a purse of her lips to make it clear that she's had enough of this topic.. "And what if I tell you no?"

"No?" he asked with a smile with another step forward her. "I am not comprehending."

Hermione rolled her eyes, backing away to the table as he neared her with his soft and slow steps forward her.

"What if I tell you clearly that no, I would not like you to make me dinner or take me anywhere else."

"So you don't want to spend time with me?" he asked her with a slightly confused frown over his face.

"I'll put this very simply, Laufeyson-"

"Loki-"

"Loki." Hermione sighed heavily as she stared back at his beautiful blue eyes. " _I'm not interested_."

"You're not interested?" he gently asked as she shook her head at him.

"I'm just not interested with you. I'm sorry. I think you're making a mistake with me, you've only just met me."

He stared back at her, reading her gaze, reading her and Hermione felt more conscious than before.

"You're sorry you don't feel the same way for me?" he asked her slowly.

"Yes." Hermione said waiting he'd do or say something unkind. "I'm sorry. I just don't feel the same way."

But a smile spread over his handsome face and she stared back at him in utter confusion.

"You Midgardians.. No, well, rather just you." Loki sweetly said. "Your kind never fail to amaze me.. but you, you are just.. different from all other Midgardians."

"What did you call me?" she asked in genuine curiosity. "What's a Midgardian?"

"Someone beautiful as you." Loki simply answered her. "And don't tell me you're not interested."

" _Excuse me?"_ Hermione asked him. "I believe I've just told you that feelings are a lot of-"

"You told me that feelings are a lot of work." Loki finished for her with a boastful smile. "But that doesn't translate that you aren't interested."

"What makes you think of that?" Hermione shot back at him.

"What makes me think of that?" Loki repeated at her. "What makes it very obvious is the very fact that you haven't kicked me out of your apartment. I am still here, standing in your living room and discussing a meal with you."

Hermione's eyes widened at him, a growing irritation in her throat and yet she couldn't deny him the truth in her.

"I let you in because I didn't want to be rude!" she scowled at him. "I was thinking you'd check up on me and I let you in because I wanted to thank you for saving my arse back at that explosion from god knows what. But that doesn't entitle you to tell me that I am interested in you."

"I am here, we've discussed dinner and you haven't been rude to me." Loki explained back at her. "You let me in out of good manners and I accept your gratefulness when I saved your arse as you wish to call it. And I'm certain that I'm not feeling entitled into assuming that you are interested in me in whatever feelings you would like to call it."

"Excuse me?" Hermione said and this time her cheeks weren't just red but she looked angered now. "I think it's time for you to go. I'm grateful for what you did, but that doesn't give you the right to come down here and tell me I'm interested in you. Thanks Mr. Laufeyson but I really am not looking forward into dinner with you or anything else-"

"Tell me you're not interested in me." Loki cut her short taking two steps forward her and making her backed away against the table behind her as he blocked her completely.

"I just told you-"

"No, tell me.." Loki whispered in a darker tone. "Look at me and tell me straight in my eyes that you aren't interested in me and I'd leave you alone."

She stared at him and blinked.

She blinked away and Loki smiled at her.

"Come now." Loki whispered gently as he moved closer her, confident with her expression and he slowly enticed her when his finger gently ran at the left side of her jawline to make her face him.

Hermione tried to shove his hand away but he only moved closer, blocking her completely from moving.

"Please look at me, Hermione." Loki whispered softer, his warm breath against the soft turn of her tresses above her bandaged forehead. "Tell me and I'd completely leave you alone."

Hermione swallowed hard, not understanding why her heart beat was racing so suddenly and she felt torn into running away from him and staying still in their position.

She slowly looked up at him and was lost into his gaze.

His fingers moved gently along the side of her face, the tips of it gently touching her to make her look at him.

"Tell me Hermione…just look.. at me.. and tell me that you aren't.. interested.." Loki said with a confident look in his eyes as he moved his face closer and closer to her. "Just look at me now and tell me.."

"I'm not.." Hermione began unable to move, unable to think clearly at their very close proximity.

She could definitely feel his hard chest close to her and his warm breath against the side of her face making her feel uncomfortable and at the same time sending out sparks and a ticklish feeling inside of her.

Her stomach was hurling, turning lopsided as her heart was screaming to be let out of her chest.

She didn't understand what she was feeling.

"Yes?" he whispered against her lips now. "You're not what?"

"I am.. not.. " Hermione swallowed hard as her eyes moved away from his gaze and into his lips close to hers and back at his eyes. "I'm not.. I think.. I don't.."

No words were comprehensive enough to come out of her and she certainly felt like she was going to faint at that moment that her heart was jolting out of her chest.

"'Mione?" he whispered gently to her as she felt his hand slowly come around the side of her arms and around her in a warm and gentle way.

"Y-yes?" Hermione managed to sigh and whisper back as he closed their faces together.

Hermione tried to rack her brain to command her body to move but it just halted and she just froze right then and there.

She could feel him and his deep breathing against her.

And before she could really comprehend what was happening, Loki had moved his face close enough to her and without a word, without further warning, he closed the inches for which their lips parted and slowly he captured her lips into a warm and deep kiss for which Hermione Granger just fell into as she felt his arms gently take her to him and kissed movingly like she has never been kissed before.

For an utter full moment Hermione had been too shock to say anything, to move a muscle or to move against it.

And then as he kissed her, his lips capturing hers and enticing and seducing her in every manner he could do so with the kiss he deepened by the moment as he encased her in his arms like a snake entangling itself around its victim, Hermione had found herself completely lost and slowly giving herself into the kissed.

She relaxed for a moment, lost in his lips and at the arms that wrapped themselves around her.

Hermione breathed heavily, gasping in their kiss and unsure where to put her arms.

He pushed her farther against the table and gently broke the kissed and tried to open her mouth with his tongue.

And that's when Hermione was pulled back into her senses.

Her eyes shot up open and she suddenly struggled against him, pushing him from her and trying to end the kiss he was trying so hard to retain as he gently but forced himself into her

"Let go.." Hermione murmured as she moved her arms onto his strong arms and tried to push him by the shoulders. "Let go…let… go… of me…"

Hermione struggled and with a heavy sight and strong tug, she successfully pushed him from her.

The kiss broke instantaneously and they stared at one another both shocked and gasping for breath.

Hermione stared back at him, eyes wide and breathless while Loki stared back at her, slightly angered and confused.

"Mione-" he began as he made a step forward her face that was slowly turning red in anger.

SMACK!

Her right hand came out of nowhere and pelted hard and straight against his left cheek.

He was too shocked by the gesture that his face remained bent over the side as it relished the hot gash of pain that came out of the Gryffindor's piled up anger and humiliation at what had just transpired between the two of them.

"You don't-" Hermione gasped back at him trying to form words into her mouth while her head spun at what had just happened. "You don't – you – "

Hermione looked back at him in utter amazement as well on what she had just done.

But before she could recover completely, he already had and as he turned to her, he reached and grabbed her by the wrist and made her face him, eye to eye.

She stared back, anger and fear consuming her gaze that he threw back at him while his expression relished hers, his eyes stared hard back at her and his expression in its damned form that Hermione couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or angered that she should already be running for her wand and her life at that very moment.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Notes:**_

 _ **I would like to explain my hiatus hahaha.**_  
 _ **It's the middle of the summer in my country and my work (teaching music) to students are done here and there, daily and in the rough hours that I leave early and come home early as well. At the hours I don't spent time teaching kids, I'm actually packing and transferring my stuff at my new home.**_  
 _ **I've finally and officially moved out from home and yay I got myself a really nice place at my favourite part of the city with a really, REALLY heavenly morning and night view.**_  
 _ **As of the moment, my things are all over the place as I barely have time to fix them all in one go since half my days are spent outdoors for work and running errands for the new place.**_  
 _ **The good news is that I'm just a walk away from the coffee shop and I have a good working area with a nice view at my new place where I can actually spend hours at home when I have no work writing my time away and reading and editing because hey, it's a very beautiful part of the house that inspires me to work on.**_  
 _ **I don't actually have to live in cafes to get myself to write since I didn't want to do it at our old house because the view there is just plain and uninspiring.**_  
 _ **After years, more than a decade and hoping for me to get a place so I can arrange my life back to focus, I'm here and now is just a beautiful day – almost every day – to write away and work my arse off.**_  
 _ **Mother's day in my country so a happy one to all your moms and mothers out there reading my works.**_

 _ **An update of the rest of the stories will be done soon as at times I'm too busy and exhausted after a day's work and running errands and transferring stuff that I'm just too tired to click the button and all that.**_  
 _ **Other than, high rise living is extremely loving and fit for my lifestyle.**_

 _ **Lots of love you all! xx**_

 ** _Chapter XV_**

 ** _The Gala_**

 _"Thank you." the younger prince of Asgard nodded to the young & definitely new palace guard who bowed at the two of them and avoided their gaze as he sneaked them back inside the palace and locked the grand double doors back. _

_Loki walked fast and breathless behind his brother as they snuck back inside the palace at half past two in the morning._

 _There was a thread in the city the struck at exactly midnight and the king and half of his army had gone down at the first ground defenses area of the palace that evening to ensure the security and safety of those he ruled within his boundaries._

 _The king had ordered a complete lockdown in the palace and had been very sure that he had left his family safe and secure inside the castle – how wrong he had been._

 _The moment he had left, Thor had defied all orders and had decided to pursue his promise to meet a young maiden a little far off the palace grounds._

 _'I've made a promise' Thor had told his brother who caught him sneaking out of the palace, 'If you don't let me go you might as well be letting my change at true love go' he had begged him as he tried his best to persuade his brother to let him pass without telling anyone else._

 _Ofcourse the younger prince wasn't stupid._

 _He knew that this wasn't 'true love' but merely one of those 'cold nights' his brother Thor was having – a mere nest to be comfortable and lay his time down for only a season or two or even less._

 _"She's not your true love." Loki had rolled his eyes as changed into robes as his brother forced him out of his comfortable bed. "You just want to bed some woman tonight to answer your desperate calls."_

 _"Oh please." Thor said as he peaked through their doors and eyed the two guards guarding their chambers. "Not because you haven't met your true love means I haven't, brother."_

 _Thor smirked at Loki and the younger brother stared up at him, halting halfway into tying up his robes._

 _"I can go back to sleep, you know." Loki said with a smirk over his face. "You can do this with or without me."_

 _Thor shook his head and closed the doors and walked back to him again._

 _He knew that tasks as this requires his brother and his brother knew that very well._

 _"Oh, please, please. I'm sorry. That's not what I meant." Thor said as he hastily fastened the robes into place and straightened up his long and smooth hair and gave him the friendliest smile he could give his brother._

 _Thor stared back at his brother with a big hopeful grin over his face._

 _"You're turning eighteen, Thor." Loki muttered staring back at him and waiting for his brother to beg some more. "You can actually do this without me."_

 _"I can't punch my way out of those guards." Thor reasoned out to his brother. "But you, brother – my brilliant, my very handsome, my dear sweet, sweet and very magical little brother-"_

 _"I'm not very little-"_

 _"Younger brother." Thor corrected himself placing his hands on either of his shoulders. "You. You have these magic.. these gifts that mother bestowed upon you."_

 _"Did you not tell me that punching your way out of things had always been a lot more helpful that these little bag of tricks I've got?" Loki asked him with a mocking look over his face. "I remember quite clearly cause you always make me feel-"_

 _"Oh please, please that's not entirely what I mean." Thor said. "You know I always.. I usually slip things.. you know that I've always considered your gifts.. very, very significant and not to mention useful in all-"_

 _"And she will be very disappointed if she finds out where I use it." Loki bitterly said crossing his arms over his chest._

 _Thor gave him another weakened look and gave him a quick hug._

 _"Come on. You like our adventures.." Thor gently said ruffling his hair. "Yes? You know you do.. you know I can't do this without you."_

 _"We're not always going to be together, brother." Loki pointed out with a slightly saddened look over his face. "Once you ascend to the throne you'll be very busy and I'll be-"_

 _"My right hand." Thor confidently told him. "You will be my right hand. You will be spending a lot more time with me than anyone else, brother. I just ask you one favor."_

 _"One too many favors." Loki pointed out with a raised brow as he stared back at him._

 _A little silence passed them and Thor just stared at him until Loki finally shook his head._

 _Thor gestured a triumphant punch over the air and embraced him tightly._

 _"Don't suffocate me." Loki said pushing his brother of him and straightening his robes down._

 _Loki had always been wiser than his brother, the one who followed the rules and the one who was also thirsty for little adventures more than he let others know of._

 _And ofcourse, his older brother provided the quench for this certain thirst for adventures that he knew Loki wouldn't have the stomach to do by himself._

 _He told him he didn't need to go with him & that he would be fast and safe and all he needed to do was stand aside and let him pass with the help of his little gifts. _

_Loki had been insistent into telling his brother that he would have let him another night but not tonight – not two days away from the future king's 18_ _th_ _birthday._

 _The king had been ordering to secure the kingdom twice its usual security measures due to the coming birthday of his older son and the queen had a closer security and entourage to watch them._

 _It wasn't like Thor actually cared about these measures for his own safety; he always defied them and did what he always wanted to do anyway._

 _But it was his younger brother, Loki, who always had a way or two to stop him or slow him down from his rebellious decisions against the measures taken for his own safety._

 _Despite circumstances, Loki always watched over his brother but as any individual, his weakness was also his brother as he easily gives in to his whims especially if he knows that he could also benefit from it._

 _Despite all his beliefs, all the rules, despite all the laws, Loki had always been loyal to one – and that was his brother, Thor Odinson._

 _"Thank you brother for this." Thor whispered haughtily as they walked over the guards that Loki had just magically steeped down to a deep slumber. "I know I can always count on you."_

 _"Don't thank me yet." Loki pointed out as they walked like silent cats down the corridors out of their chambers. "Thank me if we get back to our chambers without anyone catching us."_

 _"But I know I can always count on you." Thor confidently said as they turned another corridor. "You're the best. You and your little magic tricks. You amaze me with them."_

 _"They're not tricks." Loki irritably said as he halted and pulled Thor's shoulder back to hide them behind a large statue as a pair of guards were about to walk past their way. "And you're only amazed by them if it benefits you."_

 _"You know that's not like that." Thor whispered back as they crouched down low. "You know I owe you for this one. I thank you for this."_

 _"Thank me we get back without getting caught." Loki said as he pulled him up to his feet again and they resumed their little cat-like walk down the corridors to reach the exits._

 _"I'm with you." Thor gruffly said. "Ofcourse we'll get out of here without trouble."_

 _"Without mother you mean." Loki whispered back as they halted and crept into another corridor and quickly jumped to the other side before the guards see them. "We're as good as dead if she finds out about this."_

 _Thor and Loki watched silently as the pair of guards walked past them and completely oblivious by their presence behind the shadows._

 _They were silent for a minute and when they were sure that they had gone, Thor led the way back again._

 _He patted Loki's smaller and thin back with his large hand with a grateful smile over his face._

 _"I don't know what to do without you, brother." Thor said giving him a genuine smile. "I thank the gods for sending you to me as my brother."_

 _Loki stared back at his brother with a grateful nod and twinkle in his eye on how happy he is that he is able to make his brother happy once more._

 _"Don't be melodramatic." Loki said with a mischievous grin over his face. "I've been making a list of things you owe me. You'll have to pay me too someday, brother."_

 _Thor laughed loudly that Loki had to suppress his laughter and placed his hand into the air to intimidate him with a charm to silence him._

 _"Ofcourse I will." Thor whispered back as they resumed their little cat like walk back to their chambers with proud smiles over their faces. "Whatever it is you ask for – lands, riches, power – and most importantly, women."_

 _Loki stared back at his brother with an utmost smile over his pale face and shook his head._

 _"You really think that everything is about wealth, power and women?" he asked him back with a raised brow and a sly smile over his handsome and young face. "You really think that way, don't you brother?"_

 _"Ofcourse." his brother confidently replied as they turned another corridor that will lead them up to the staircase that led back to their rooms. "It's what everyone wants."_

 _"Not me, perhaps." Loki said with a smile and Thor slowed down his pace and waited for his brother to catch up on him._

 _He looked back at him, watching him closely and bearing a scowl then a smile over his face._

 _"Ofcourse that's not true, brother." Thor said. "You want the same things as what others want, as what I want."_

 _"What makes you say that?" Loki asked with a narrowed look over his face as he halted making his brother stop and turn back at him as well._

 _"Well, look at you." Thor said looking him up and down proudly. "If you were really, genuinely like father and his adamant rules – you won't be here with me, sneaking back into the chambers when there is a complete lockdown."_

 _"I didn't do it because of that reason." Loki said as he straightened up and folded his arms over his chest._

 _"But you had a reason." Thor confidently said with a smile over slightly bearded face that was in contrast to his brother's clean shaven one._

 _Loki opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, thinking back and hesitating his answer._

 _Thor threw his head back in laughter and patted his back._

 _"Oh, admit it brother. You're just like me." Thor said as they resumed walking again. "We want the same thing, we enjoy the same things. You're here with me – isn't that proof enough that you enjoy the same thing I do?"_

 _"I let you in and am here with you because you're my brother." Loki cut short halting both of their steps towards the staircase. "I do this because you're my brother, that's the reason, nothing else."_

 _Thor stopped smiling and stared back at the brother he loved so dearly._

 _He was staring seriously back at him and he realized that what he said might have offended his younger brother._

 _"That wasn't what I meant, Loki." Thor said making a step forward him to reach for him. "I know we're the same.. and also different.. in ways.."_

 _"Really." Loki answered with a mocking tone back at him._

 _"Come now." Thor began gesturing him to come closer and wearing another inviting smile. "You know what I meant. We differ in ways more than one but we certainly are alike and enjoy the same things. I respect what you believe and what you do brother – and you conniving with me in these little adventures even if you truly enjoy them – doesn't make you as bad as I am. Or maybe just a little worse."_

 _Thor winked at him and waited for Loki to react at him._

 _For a moment he just stared back and then he also nodded and broke into a big smile back at his brother._

 _Thor laughed at him and ruffled the soft, black tousle hair and gave him another strong pat over the back._

 _"You're an idiot, you know that?" Loki asked him. "If we ever get caught, I'm not helping you ever again."_

 _"Yes, I know." Thor said as they both turned to ascend the stairs. "I concede to that – for the hundredth time."_

 _They both sniggered and laughed as they made their way up the stairs to their chambers._

 _"No, really. I'm not helping you next time." Loki said although he was still wearing the same mischievous glare back at his brother knowing that it wasn't going to happen anyway. "Do you have any idea what mother would do to the both of us if she finds this one out?"_

 _But Loki knew that he would always help his brother; he would always help his brother no matter what._

 _"We're not children." Thor gladly told him. "What is she going to do with us? Lash a stick on us? Give us a detention or house arrest of some sort?"_

 _"I'm just saying." Loki said. "I would always help you but not when you're wrong. I've got your back but that-"_

 _"And I've got yours." Thor replied as he skipped a few steps up at the stairs to stay ahead of his brother. "And besides, I'm almost very sure that I've already heard all these before from you – last time of helping me for something. Oh wait, when was the last time I've heard that? Oh yes, ever since we were children you've always said it's the 'last time' you'd help me out."_

 _Thor winked and stared at his brother who just stared back at him, shaking his head quietly._

 _brother. "This is the last time. We might not get lucky next time. You've been abusing my generosity." "_

 _"The stars are with us, brother." Thor said with a confident smile. "I assure you that we will always get away with everything."_

 _"You don't know that." Loki said with a purse of his thin lips. "Let's not think about what father will do to the two of us because that'll be the end of it all but mother – I can't fathom what mother will do to us if she finds out I've been helping you in this little escapades."_

 _"Oh please brother." Thor said with gloating smile over his face. "We both know you'd always be by my side besides, father is the end game and he'll never really know – he won't do anything even if he finds out. I'm his favorite – he won't do anything. You should be confident cause you're mother's favourite-"_

 _"I'm not." Loki cut him short although the grin over his face told them both that he was proud of that little fact they both know to be true. "I can't imagine what mother would do to us if she finds out. So this is the last time I'm helping you."_

 _"You're not the only one wondering what mother would do." Thor said as they reached the top steps of the staircase. "We've had more than hundreds of adventures, Loki and mother has never found out."_

 _"If she does-"_

 _"Come on, she won't." Thor proudly said as they reached the top of the staircase. "You worry too much. I feel the same way but I don't worry too much."_

 _"You feel the same way?" Loki asked back with a raised brow._

 _"Yes." Thor said as they both turned to walk to their chambers. "I also feel scared that what if mother finds out you know and I also fee lthe same way you do - all these tremendous guilt-"_

 _"You?" Loki laughed at him. "You've never been guilty about anything-"_

 _"Oh, ofcourse I have." Thor said looking kindly back at his brother. "When it comes to you and the trouble I'd bring you into, I always feel guilty."_

 _The mocking smile faded from Loki's face and his heart felt touched by those words._

 _He knew that he would always care for Thor and despite that his brother would barely show it to the world, he knew that Thor would always have his back._

 _Loki opened his mouth to say something when he closed it quickly upon seeing someone before them, waiting for their return._

 _The smile from Thor's face faded as he turned from his brother and back at the direction he had been staring, at the very same place that wiped off the smile from his face._

 _The brothers turned, both faces wearing nothing but a glow of red and guilt as they stared at the beautiful woman standing alone by the grand hallway wearing a peculiar smile over her face._

 _Her eyes moved from Loki who looked twice as guilty as Thor and then back at Thor who looked proud of himself yet the glow of guilt for his brother and the trouble he'd get him in now._

 _"Hello my sons." Frida greeted them with a big smile as she gently placed both her hands in front of her._

 _"Mother…" Loki began to explain but Frida ignored him with a short smile and nod over her face._

 _"How about we find out?" Frida asked turning back at Thor. "How about the both of you come with me so we can find out how I'd actually punish the both of you for defying your father – the king's – orders under this lockdown situation?"_

 _Thor discreetly stared back at his brother who stared back at the same ashamed, guilty face back at him knowing this wasn't exactly how they were both planning to spend the night away after their triumphant little adventure tonight._

They stared at one another, both red in the face and breathless and before Hermione could do anything, they both heard her apartment bell ring.

They broke their gaze for a moment and then they both looked back at one another.

Loki's grasp of her slackened and Hermione quickly took the opportunity to grab her hand back.

Before Loki could do anything, she moved and quickly pushed herself through him and called out onto the door to ensure that someone knows that she was inside her apartment.

"Harry?" she called out hopefully.

"Yeah, it's me." Harry answered back from the outside. "Came for some bagel and all from George's and Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione quickened her footsteps, extremely glad for Harry's presence and uncaring what she have to say if he sees Loki back inside her apartment.

"I'm coming." Hermione said without breaking her gaze from Loki who stared back at her with question in his eyes. "Be there in a minute."

"Hermione-" Loki began but before he could get to her, she had quickly turned and had jogged fast to let Harry in.

Loki cursed to himself as he straightened himself up and tried to look as decent and casual as possible.

Loki had reached for her arm to stop her and Hermione momentarily looked back at him.

She gave him an uncertain look over her face that told him that she wasn't prepared to tell Harry or anyone else whatever it was that had transpired between the two of them awhile ago.

He knew then that she barely comprehended it and he let her arm go.

Hermione quickly left him back at the hallway and walked to her door for Harry.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked Hermione as the door opened and he saw her flustered face right back at him.

"I'm fine." Hermione breathlessly lied back at him as she opened the door hoping that Loki would have the decency to leave soon.

Harry entered still looking skeptical at her flustered form and expression but before he could inquire further, they both heard footsteps and before neither of them could comprehend what was going on, Loki had come pass them and took his scarf from where he had hung it over and walked to Hermione.

Harry's mouth fell open in shock and he couldn't even find his voice to say anything at seeing Loki in Hermione's place.

Hermione tried to avoid Harry's gaze for which was obviously burning at the very moment at the sight of them.

Without warning, Loki had suddenly kissed her over her cheek and smiled at her as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"It was a delightful afternoon, Hermione." Loki had said with a gesture of his hand to hers. "Perhaps one last time to ask if it interests you to come with me for lunch tomorrow?"

Hermione and Loki's eyes met and she knew what he meant with that invitation.

She had been too shocked at what he has done and had barely recovered and still he was very insistent into asking her for the last time if she would ever be interested in him.

She didn't know him very well and she wasn't the type to venture with someone she barely knew.

But she had to admit even to herself that she was very curious of him, his intellect and his character.

Hermione knew that she had to make a decision and right in front of Harry.

She never wanted to mix business with pleasure even if that didn't seem to matter to this man who was obviously perhaps a little older than Bill Weasley.

Hermione nodded gently at him and a genuine look over her eyes came and Loki already knew the answer before she even spoke of it.

"Thank you." Hermione warmly said taking his hand to shake it for the last time. "I'd have to pass. I'm really, really not interested."

Harry stared at Loki and back at Hermione and as her bestfriend all these years, he already knew that there was something he was definitely missing at that very moment.

Loki nodded courteously and like a gentleman, he shook her hand back.

"I usually don't take no for an answer." Loki honestly said in a warm voice as his gaze held hers. "But I'd respect this decision of yours. Shall I see you around then?"

Hermione nodded at him and broke their hand contact and made a step away from the man.

"I'll see you at the Ministry, Mr. Laufeyson." Hermione answered letting him know that she was drawing the line between the two of them at that very moment.

Loki nodded at her and made a gesture at Harry before turning to leave as Harry followed him to close the door of the apartment for him.

Hermione watched as the man left without another word or look back at her and waited for Harry to return to the small hallway with all the questions he had in his head about what had just transpired.

"Butterbeer?" Harry offered her when they were alone as he waited for her to speak to her about what it was all about.

Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes as she gestured that she'd just get her cloak and scarf.

"More like a lot of alcohol tonight, Harry." Hermione said as he nodded and took her arm and took her out of the apartment.

A week has passed since the afternoon that Loki Laufeyson left Hermione's apartment.

And despite that Harry never asked into full details and questions since that afternoon for which Hermione enlightened him about what was going on – skip the part that they kissed – Harry didn't miss the fact that there were moments where Hermione seemed lost in her thoughts and kept on walking past the conference room where Loki was usually found if he wasn't in his penthouse office.

And speaking of it, since Hermione's transfer she had only ever seen him twice – and never again since that event in her apartment.

She wasn't stupid.

She knew that all of these had something to do with the kiss and the rejection she had given flat over his face.

She knew that soon enough, since he didn't get what he wanted, she would be sent back down into her old office floor and office in a memo's notice.

Hermione was almost as ready and willing to pack all her things back down again.

He had been an interesting man, an intellectual one to be honest.

She would have to admit to herself that his ideas challenged her and despite that he had described her as somehow 'challenging' which was slightly offensive in her part, she had to admit that he had a good perspective in things.

What was wrong with her?

Well first of all, he had been too much, too over-wearing and obviously over-confident of himself.

He poised and imposed himself upon her without giving her enough time to really understand and realize what was going on between the two of them without even feeling the slightest bit of guilty around him or feeling sensitive enough that she'd take time.

And secondly, she didn't want complicated attachments.

He was foreign to their place and who's telling that he'd stay or rather he'd stay for her?

He just came out from nowhere and he wanted what could be called an attachment, a relationship and Hermione didn't like complicated ones.

She wasn't scared but for her, feelings are a lot of work.

She had long declined Ron and Viktor Krum and she had successfully managed to cock-block Harry in his little attempts way back, a long time ago.

There was an Auror and a Healer and even a Ministry official who had attempted to see her and date her, but they were all just less than what she had been looking for – too much or never enough.

And this man who comes out of nowhere, was somewhere in between of those description.

"Stop it, Hermione." Hermione berated herself for the nth time.

"Stop what?" Harry asked as he entered with a bag of bagel and coffee in his hands. "Thought I'd bring you some since we're going to stay over a meeting later."

Hermione checked the clock and it was half past five.

There was an overtime meeting that they all had to attend and Harry had insisted on staying with her until meeting time.

"Oh, before I forget, here's something we need to go to on Saturday night." Harry said handing her what looked like another fancy invitation.

Hermione took it and read the cover of the invitation where what looked like a real peacock feather was atop the fancy and shimmering lettering was carved.

"Selling birds?" she asked sarcastically opening the invitation.

"No." Harry sniggered back at her. "Selling arts. Charity event. Gala ball."

"You know I hate these things." Hermione told him rolling her eyes and reading through the envelope.

"Not any more than I hate." Harry pointed out as he took a bagel from the bag and settled himself in her large office couch.

"It states here that it's a sort of art exhibit and only your name is here-"

"That's because if you'd read through, I'm supposed to bring a date." Harry cut short staring at her as if she had been stupidly reading.

"And who are you bringing?" Hermione asked folding the letter back after she's read it.

"You." Harry pointed out clearly with another mocking look over his face. "Are you alright?"

"Me?" Hermione asked completely uninterested with the event. "Why me?"

"And who do you suppose I bring?" Harry mocked back grabbing the invitation from her before she does something with it. "I'm not bringing Kingsley."

"Very funny." Hermione said. "I'm not going."

"Yes you are." Harry pointed out with a tone that told her it was end of discussion.

"I'm not." Hermione said. "I haven't got anything to wear."

"If you read it, just a cocktail dress is enough. And don't lie that you don't have any because I've seen you wear those little-"

"Yes, yes, I get the point." Hermione said rolling her eyes and grabbing a bagel from the package and sitting next to him.

Harry had been chewing on the bagel with peace in his life when Hermione took a bite and scooted next to him.

Harry rolled his eyes and kissed her over her dark tresses.

Hermione sighed heavily and Harry already knew that something was wrong

"Spill it." Harry said in a mouthful as he held the bagel in his other hand and the other playing with her hair.

"I'm not feeling.. okay.." Hermione muttered slowly unsure how to tell her bestfriend how she had been feeling these past days.

Silence passed them and based on Hermione's breathing pattern he knew that he wasn't that well alright.

"You're feeling guilty about the whole Laufey-situation." Harry simply pointed out.

"Ofcourse not." Hermione quickly countered knowing very well she was only lying to herself.

"I'm sure you're not." Harry pointed out with a smirk as he pulled her face to stare back at him.

"What?" Hermione spat at him trying to avoid his gaze.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't goddamn miss him and you aren't feeling guilty at all, whatsoever about this whole thing between the two of you and what you did."

"I'm not."

"Hermione."

"I told you I'm not."

"Mione."

"I'm really, really not."

"Then look at me and tell me that you're not." Harry gently said looking at her eyes.

Hermione rolled her eyes and stared back at him.

"I'm not guilty about this whole Loki Laufeyson issue." Hermione said staring hard at him. "I'm really, really not."

Harry stared and waited.

And then Hermione blinked.

A smile spread his face and Hermione rolled her eyes and gently hit him over the chest and then buried her face into him as well.

"You actually like him." Harry pointed out. "And now that you've flat out rejected him, you haven't heard from him for a week. I think that's missing out on something."

"I'm not.." Hermione began not even sure what to say. ".. I'm not missing him. It's just.."

Harry waited for her face to turn red and red by the moment.

"Damn it, Harry." Hermione muttered at him. "I'm not missing him but I don't understand what I'm feeling."

"You miss him." Harry pointed out. "You have reservations about him but you feel curious about him. And now that you haven't heard from him for a week, you've absolutely got no clue how he feels now towards you and you're being paranoid all over."

"Ofcourse he feels rejected that's why I haven't seen or heard from and about him." Hermione intellectually said.

"And that's the whole point. You're missing him and you're worried about how he now feels about you."

"I'm not entirely worried what he thinks of me."

"Think is different from feel, 'Mione." Harry corrected her and she gave him a look knowing she always hated when she was corrected or if someone was right than she was.

"So what do I do?" Hermione asked him. "I don't prefer jogging up to his penthouse apartment."

"You're situated right up at the floor where he works." Harry said. "Couldn't you knock your way through?"

"His blinds have been down since the other day." Hermione said. "And I don't think he came to work this past week."

"Maybe an out of town trip." Harry pointed out. "Besides, he's not really a Ministry employee to be there at all times. You'd only have to try and chance upon a circumstance where he could be."

"I don't know." Hermione said sighing heavily and placing the back of her arm over her forehead. "This is stupid. I'm not even supposed to be feeling this way after I've rejected him."

"That's because you're feeling guilty all the same about what you've done and also because now that you haven't heard from him after you bluntly rejected him, you're absolutely confused of your feelings all over."

Hermione was silent, Harry's unsurprising attempt to console her regarding relationships was something that she really didn't expect.

He had had relationships in the past and perhaps for the first time, she had something from Harry that was actually helpful.

"That's my point Harry." Hermione sighed heavily sinking back in his arms. "I don't get lost or confused all over about things."

"There's always a first time, 'Mione." Harry pointed out kissing her forehead. "Always one."

The week had come and gone and Hermione had not only succumb into being lost and confused but had practically given up at the idea that she'd see him any time soon.

She knew that he was purposely avoiding her now and Harry's clarification and realization of her feelings didn't help her week either.

The man had been gentle and intellectual but had also obviously proved that he wasn't used or rather sport when it came to rejection. ;

He obviously wasn't used to being rejected and Hermione had served it hot right at his face.

"Can you please zip me properly in place?" Hermione snapped at him as she turned around and asked Harry to fix her cocktail dress.

It was a tight one-zip black cocktail dress that hang an inch above her knees was the perfect match for the simple necklace that hung around her neck for the night.

"Because we're already very late." Harry pointed out as he zipped up her dress and turned her around to help her straighten out her hair that got caught at the back of the dress.

"Well if you came on time we won't be late now, won't we?" Hermione lashed back at him as she hurriedly opened her purse and pouted her lips and turned to her apartment's mirror and placed the dark magenta lipstick over her lips while Harry struggled to tie his necktie.

"Oh, we've done this about ten dozen times Harry." Hermione said shoving her makeup back inside her bag and turning to her bestfriend to untie the knot and tie it properly around his neck.

"Thanks." Harry said. "Well my alarm didn't buzz this morning and I need to do errands and stuff. So I overslept out of exhaustion this afternoon."

"Yes, well whatever. Let's go." Hermione said checking herself over the mirror and her bestfriend before her.

"I would do you, Hermione." Harry bluntly said staring her up and down. "I mean if you weren't my bestfriend."

"Shut up." Hermione said waving her wand around her apartment as they finished up. "You're late picking me up and you'll give me very lame pickup lines. Seriously Harry Potter. You're never gonna get laid with those attributes."

Harry mocked smile at her and then watched her shove her wand inside an inner secret stash inside her dress as they made their way outside of her apartment.

He made her smile but keeping up a commentary on how beautiful her hair had been tonight as Hermione led them out of her apartment and into the night to the Gala Ball.

 _If there was anything than the two princes of Asgard vastly differed from one another, it was the social gatherings and other social responsibilities they both had and were required to do so._

 _Thor would always enjoy and bask away in these gatherings, drinking and eating his fill while his brother only stayed until the moment where he was actually required to stay. Other than, he would find himself bored and rather irritated by the noise consummated within such events._

 _"The party has just began downstairs, Loki." Frida said as she entered the vast room of the younger prince._

 _Loki looked up from the middle of his grand four-poster bed and quickly illuminated the whole room with a swipe of his left hand._

 _The fire in the hearth grew big and he removed his eyes from the book he had been greeting as he moved towards the edged of the bed to greet his mother._

 _She nodded and gestured that she'd come to him._

 _He returned to his position and pretended to be reading again._

 _"Loki?" Frida asked as she settled herself next to him._

 _"They're too noisy for my taste, mother." Loki said turning a page from his book. "You know I'm not really interested in these gatherings unless they are political or intellectual."_

 _"Does your brother's victory against one of those blatant armies trying to get into Asgard not political or intellectual enough for you?" Frida asked knowing the answer._

 _"I've celebrated with the rest of you at dinner. I've also stayed and prayed with you to the gods after dinner. I have greeted and shook hands with generals and stayed for another hour. May I ask why I am still required to go downstairs when all they do is drink and eat and dance around? Father's not even at the party any longer."_

 _"Odin is not feeling very well." Frida simply said reaching for his arm. "Are you not joyous of another victory of your brother?"_

 _Loki sighed heavily and closed the book he was reading._

 _"I am grateful of the victory mother." Loki replied with a small smile over his face as Frida waited for him to do so. "I'm just not.. interested into drinking the night away. I'm happy for what my brother has accomplished tonight and believe me, I'm glad to be rid of those vindictive army. But I'm really too exhausted and he's with his friends, he doesn't need my company."_

 _"But ofcourse he needs you. He wants you downstairs."_

 _"He wants me downstairs or you want me downstairs?" Loki asked her with a look in his eyes._

 _Frida nodded at him and gently pressed his arm._

 _"I know gone are the days when I can ask you to stay close with your brother."_

 _"He's big enough. I think killing an entire army, he can handle himself well into drinking to oblivion."_

 _Frida stared at him and listened at the sarcasm that came out of his mouth._

 _He knew that his younger son had no time to make a fool of himself in parties and would rather read a book than waste the hours away drinking too much like his brother._

 _"How you two have grown in your own ways." Frida said and she moved closer and pulled Loki to her._

 _Loki sighed and let himself be moved closer to Frida._

 _He smiled at her as she nodded and kissed him warmly over the forehead like he wasn't eighteen and merely a young boy that she always see them to be._

 _"I love you, Loki." Frida said with a warm smile. "You may not be the one to lead an army into battle but you will always be that little boy I'm ever so fond of."_

 _"My brother has better use, mother." Loki pointed out lowering his eyes._

 _Frida grabbed his face to gently make him look back at her._

 _"I love both my sons whether they are to ascend a throne, lead an army to death or be at my palace counseling my government." Frida said in a tight voice. "I love you both no more and no less than the other."_

 _"Even if I'm not to be king?" Loki pointed out knowing the answer already. "Even if I can't lead your army out onto the battle?"_

 _"What would a dead son make out of me?" Frida asked taking hold of his hand again. "I love you Loki. I always would whether you become king or right hand of a king. You are my son and you are loved and that is the only thing you'll ever have to remember with or without a crown."_

The first half hour of the party had been nothing but a mere blur for both Harry and Hermione.

The gala was an art exhibition of sorts from old magical artifacts collected around the globe to old and valuable books and many other important and magical objects.

Ministry officials had been present and seeing the both of them, the next hour had been spent chit-chatting with the people they knew and who knew them well.

By the third hour, Hermione had finished walking twice around the exhibit to appreciate everything that were displayed on sight and had finished talking to most of the people who knew them in the gala event.

The bidding had also been done and a lot of the earnings would go to the same family and charities that were affected or had served in the First and Second Wizarding War.

"I want to go home." Hermione mumbled at Harry's ear as the woman he had been talking to had left him to get them some more drinks from the bar that had been set up.

"Two more hours before the party ends." Harry mumbled back. "Thirty minutes, Hermione."

"You're enjoying yourself." Hermione pointed out gently smacking him over the chest. "Who's that girl? Are you going to get laid tonight?"

"Shut up." Harry replied shaking her hair out its nice place. "I'm just talking to her. She's half Russian. Two years older. Has connections with the Quidditch Internationale Competition next year."

"So?" Hermione asked him confused as she ducked her head away from his reach.

"So I can get tickets if I can find out how to get them without paying too much." Harry whispered back to her as they both eyed the woman on her way back to them with two drinks in her hands. "Come on, go now. I'll see you in thirty minutes."

"You've got so many galleons still left by your parents, Harry." Hermione mumbled back at him. "Let's not count your earnings and what was given aside from your Order of Merlin and you're trying to be cheap by-"

"I get your point. You can go now, she's coming. Bye." Harry said as he literally gently pushed her away with a wink over his eyes.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue when she heard Harry tell the woman that she was her school bestfriend that he was telling her about that was like his sister.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling anyway as Harry faded back with the woman into the crowd around the room.

She turned to get herself another drink and settle back to their table for the rest of the night until Harry is done with his little business when her eyes caught something.

Or rather someone.

There from where she stood at plain sight across the room was Loki Laufeyson talking to a couple of Ministry Officials.

Her eyes slightly widened and she had to blink several times to ensure it was him.

She discreetly made her way to a waiter with a tray of drinks just to get closer to where he was to ensure it was him.

As she grabbed a small cocktail from the tray and got herself near enough to see them and enough not to be seen, she had been sure it was him.

She even heard his name being called by one of the officials.

"France had been a good trip." Loki's voice said. "It was only a mere three days but it was good enough."

"Well, if you've got yourself a good take home we're quite sure Mr. Laufeyson that it had been a very, very good three days and three nights."

"Two days and three nights." Loki corrected with a wink as the other gentlemen laughed and toasted his glass.

"Oh, here she is." one of them had said and Hermione's eyes automatically zoomed around the room.

There in front of her, a tall woman with fine dark chocolate hair, refined gaze and eyes and fair skin walked to them and kissed Loki over his left cheek.

"Good evening." the woman clearly greeted in what Hermione was sure to be a French accent.

She wasn't sure why but her throat suddenly felt like something had been stuck with something.

Trying to hidden yet close to them, Hermione craned her neck and tried to see and hear who the woman was.

Her brown eyes narrowed as she saw Loki place his arm around the woman's thin and nicely shaped hips before gently placing her before her and resting his head next to her face.

Hermione's eyes widened as he continued to smile to the crowd while the woman answered a couple of the inquiries from the gentlemen around her.

 _Three years older._

 _Half English-Half French._

 _Studied at Beauxbatons._

 _Very, very beautiful and god-given legs and curves._

Hermione tried so hard to not look again and just listen out to the conversation the others were having but it was so hard not to look – not when Loki's arm was around her waistline that was barely with any clothes from the very stylish and barely clothed cocktail dress she was wearing.

The dress didn't just embrace her curves well, but only outline them with curves and the rest of her body was just bare skin.

And despite that Loki's eyes and conversation attention were with the men talking to him, his body language around the woman told Hermione that he had long moved on from the hang up she was still having on him.

How stupid could she get; she had pan him out with a hot blazing fire of rejection and he was a man.

He has needs.

No, he was a man.

It was plain and simple and he had moved on from her.

Suddenly, a pang not only of guilt but of disappointment hang around her neck.

How more she wanted to go home right at that moment.

Ignore the words and exchanges about the woman in his arms as her eyes felt hurt by the way his hands moved protectively around the woman and his face moved close to her while the other reciprocated it by laughing her French words and whispers out to him and her hand touching him all over like she was a prize she had recently won.

Well didn't she just?

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears as she knew now that a very little part of her felt that he had been sure, he had been sincere and well, that the kiss had meant something.

But seeing this just a week later after all of that made her feel not just betrayed but totally made a fool out of.

 _She was jealous and hard down to her core._

"Miss Granger!"

A voice called her out of her misery and Hermione had been too surprised to move out of the way.

She looked up and ahead and saw one of the Wizengamot members Loki and the woman had been speaking with stare back at her with the rest of the people talking to Loki.

She swallowed hard and forced a smile as she knew she had to make her way to them now.

"I've been looking for you." the old wizard had said. "Where's Mr. Potter?"

"Around." Hermione said passing her gazes at everyone except for Loki and the girl who had now consumed themselves into some private whispers and joke.

She took a hard sip over her drink and looked away from them as the two broke off their little whispering with the woman gently nodding before eyeing Hermione in a scrutinizing way.

She could almost swear that they were making fun of her.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Laufeyson had just gone back in town after his business trip at France."

"I can tell." Hermione said without meaning to sound so very mean or snappy so she quickly added up a little, "I mean, so I've heard."

"Yes, well he has come with a guest or rather date tonight." the wizard went on completely oblivious from Hermione's hot-head. "She's supposedly around the same age with your family friend Miss Fleur Delacour, yes?"

 _"Oui."_ the woman answered staring back at Hermione and extending her hand at her. "I've heard of her name from TriWizard history."

The woman stared back at Hermione and Hermione tried her best to look and stand tall despite that she was obviously already taller than she was.

"Elaiza Raines." the woman said extending her soft and fair-skinned hand at her. " Very pleased to ze finally meet ze you.. Hermione Greyn-Gra-Gr-"

"Granger." Hermione answered with a bite to her tone as she extended her hand back to her and firmly grasped it. "Hermione Granger."

She gasped and Hermione quickly let go from her very firm grasp and gave her a hard smile.

Even if she wasn't looking at Loki she knew that he was staring quietly and closely at her.

"Beauxbatons alumni." the wizard went on with his introduction. "Miss Fleur Delacour is a family friend, yes? They might have known one another."

"Yeah, maybe." Hermione muttered with an obvious look over her face that she doesn't give a damn whether Fleur knew this woman or not.

Hermione sighed heavily, trying to remain composed while the Ministry official tattle-tailed about the woman who was snaking herself around Loki with a slightly drunken demeanor.

"Been busy at the Ministry, Miss Granger?" Loki finally spoke looking deeply at her and uncaring that the woman named Elaiza had been playing with the elegant tie around his neck that matched his nicely cut and fit black suit.

"Yes." Hermione snapped looking only once at him again. "Obviously. Just like you've been."

Her eyes turned to him and a sharp gaze ran from the woman's hand that had been resting over his chest and was now playing at the side of his neckline and ears.

And the worse of it all?

He doesn't even seem to mind at all the attention he was being given.

He obviously wanted his women at his feet and Hermione felt she now understood why he had been very quick to get over her.

One mere kiss was all he got from her and she paid him back with a very hard slap.

It was an painful slap at his ego as well.

He was obviously a very physical man and one who likes his women falling head over heels over him.

And she repaid and served him with a hot pot of pure rejection.

Now, he has clearly moved on from her.

"If you would excuse me, I need to find Harry." Hermione said unable to stay any longer and watch the two who were already at the verge of lip-locking right then and there as if there were no other people in front of them as they tangle their bodies together.

"Harry?" Elaiza repeated turning to her with a curious smile. "Harry Potter?"

"Yes." Hermione answered fighting herself not to snap at the woman who obviously knew that she was referring to no one else but Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter is your boyfriend?" she asked with an incredible look over her eyes.

"No." Loki answered with a smile as well as Hermione opened her mouth to answer her. "More like.. a friend, a brother. She told me the other day."

Hermione's head turned sharply back at him and he only nodded and raised his glass slightly at her direction.

"Did you not tell me so?" he asked her with a precarious look over his face. "Or did I mishear you?"

"I have to go." Hermione snapped unable to control herself any longer. "It was good to see you all."

She nodded at the Ministry officials and excuse herself and nodded at the woman and completely turned away from Loki without another word with nothing but her fuming dignity still intact.

"I want to go home." Hermione urgently whispered to Harry after twenty minutes of doing nothing but mope back at their table and watch the other guests enjoy the rest of the party.

The lights had slightly dimmed as the music toned down into a smooth and slow pace for which guests started to take their dates at the middle of the dance floor.

Harry's head spun to her right then as he had just taken a girl's hand to dance with him.

"I'm sorry, just one minute." Hermione muttered to the girl who knew them both very well from a Ministry charity event and had nodded coherently at Hermione in obvious fear of her skills at hexing people.

Harry gave the girl a gesture that he'd be back to dance with her as Hermione pulled him out onto the side and pressed his wrist.

"I'm going." Hermione muttered trying to avoid looking at Loki who was dancing or rather sexually tangling bodies with his date for the night at a dark corner of the dance floor.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked her, slightly alarmed. "Are we-"

"No, it's fine. You can stay if you want." Hermione said obviously just wanting to leave and not very fond of ruining Harry's time just when he was enjoying something himself.

"What's happening?" Harry concernedly asked this time as he pulled her closer and placed his hands on either side of her arms. "'Mione?"

"I'm not feeling very well." Hermione simply said avoiding his gaze. "I just want to go home. I'll just get some fresh air down the balcony and I'll head off. Stay if you want to, it's really alright."

"Is it Laufeyson?" Harry asked her with narrowed gaze. "I've seen him earlier and-"

"I'm just really not feeling well. I want to go home, Harry." Hermione said with a tone of impatience in her voice.

Harry stared at her and knew that the conversation was over and whether it was about Laufeyson or not, he knew that if she wanted to go home, this wasn't permission she was asking but rather telling him that she was going home.

"Alright." Harry said. "We'll go home in a bit. I'll just dance with the girl and you get your fresh air. Meet me by the end of the staircase in fifteen?"

"Yes." Hermione said. "But you don't really have to-"

"I'll take you home." Harry said kissing her forehead. "Fifteen minutes by the staircase."

Hermione nodded at him and he led her back to the room as he searched the room back to the girl he was about to dance with.

Hermione felt stupid standing at the middle of the room with no dance partner at all and knowing that she didn't want to be asked anyway, she quickly turned on her heel and moved to the area that led to the small balcony of the hall of the event place.

Hermione had barely inhaled the fresh, cold and consuming night air by the balcony when she heard footsteps come closer breaking the solace she had been having all to herself in the area.

"Quite a party, don't you think?" asked the familiar deep accent and voice from the curtained door.

"All parties are all the same." Hermione answered rolling her eyes and sighing heavily as she turned to face Loki Laufeyson standing next to her and appreciating the view by the balcony.

"I love the night sky." Loki had said his eyes direct at the skies above them. "I love the view of the stars. Makes me feel closer.. to my home. Makes me feel not very alone, you know?"

"I'm sure." Hermione said with a bite to her tone as she made a step away from him and gave him a nod. "You aren't exactly alone tonight. You've had that French woman all over you. You can hardly call that being alone."

Loki smiled and slowly turned to her with a charming smile over his face.

"Ah yes, Elaiza is quite.. a woman." Loki said as he slowly turned to face her, his other hand resting by the balcony as he stared back at her, his eyes running up and down at her curves. "Lovely dress."

"Not as lovely as the French girl's." Hermione pointed out aware that his eyes were running along her body. "It was very beautiful that it was barely even there."

Loki threw his head back in laughter as he edged closer to her, close enough to reach her.

Hermione stood her guard even if half of her wanted to run along already.

The man had an obvious effect on her that could be considered neither good nor bad.

It was driving her mad.

"That's what makes your dress quite interesting." Loki whispered moving closer to her as he reached for her. "Tangles and outlines the right places.. leaving nothing revealed and yet.. leaving things for the works of imagination."

Hermione stood before him, unmoving as he inched closer and with two long fingers, he touched the side of her arm to straighten out and pull back the lace in place that had been hanging down at the side of her arm.

Loki took another step closer to her, closing in their gap and Hermione felt her heart thumping very fast, wildly and out of its place.

The man had an extreme effect on her whole being.

"You can keep your imagination to yourself, Mr. Laufeyson." Hermione said with a smile at him as she made an attempt to move back from him. "It was a nice evening."

If Loki was amused, he didn't have reservations to hide and keep it.

He laughed at her, a consuming handsome smile over his face making his godly features even more prominent.

His big smile slowly faded and he gave her one that was intimate and consoling in a way.

"For all it's worth, Miss Granger, you do look very lovely and beautiful tonight." Loki whispered at her his eyes deep into hers.

"Perhaps you should go back to your date. She wouldn't want to miss a second entangling all her tentacles all over you." Hermione spitefully told him crossing her arms and keeping them in place as if to protect herself from him.

"Why do you keep talking about her when I am talking about you?" Loki asked her with a curious look over his face. "Would you like us to talk about her?"

"Oh please." Hermione said smirking at him. "I'm sure with all the press in this place, the both of you will be the talk of town in the morning in all the newsstands."

"I'm unlike my brother. I'm quite a private person." Loki reasoned to her. "Besides, isn't this gathering one that requires us to bring a date?"

"I'm quite sure you know what this gathering required." Hermione snapped back at him as she began to turn red in the face.

"I'm a private person, Miss Granger. But by all means we can talk about our dates for the night." Loki offered her with a genuine look over his face that seemed to anger Hermione further.

"I was quite sure that there was nothing private in what you two had been doing all night long, Laufeyson."

"This is a social gathering." Loki said as he stood tall before her his eyes seemingly reading through her. "Besides, tell me exactly what it is that you think we've been doing all night long?"

"Are you serious?" Hermione mocked him back. "You really want me to – to describe how you two have been- you actually have the nerve to go around and about with that woman as if-"

 _"I beg your pardon_?" Loki interrupted her in a clear voice and a little louder tone. "Why are we arguing about who I've brought with me tonight and whatever it is perhaps we have been doing all night long for the world to see-"

"You, that woman and - and your fantastic ego –"

"Did you not just reject me?" Loki asked her bluntly as he moved closer to her to make sure that she reads his facial expression. "Did you just not reject me a week ago? We shouldn't even be having this conversation but it interests me to know that you've had your hot head all night long against a woman you barely-"

" _Excuse moi_." Hermione argued back at him in an imitation of a French accent as she said those words. "I have not been prying and or spying to the two of-"

"Tell me exactly what you've been doing all night long then, Miss Granger." Loki told her. "Tell me exactly what you've been doing all night long that you seem to bestow all of your energy into-"

"I have not been spying on either of you!" Hermione angrily argued back at him. "I have no business whatsoever to –"

"Hermione?" Harry's voice came in and abruptly cut their conversation.

The both of them looked up and Harry was standing a few feet from them and ready to leave.

"Uh.." he began seeing the heightened look over their face as he stared from Hermione and then to Loki and then back at his bestfriend. "I thought I'll check you here cause I was ready to leave. I'll wait for you by the stairs."

"Oh, I'm going too." Hermione said quickly excusing herself and pushing her way away from Loki.

"Miss Granger-

"We've got nothing to talk about." Hermione angrily called back at him without turning her head. "I haven't got any more words for your kind."

Harry opened his mouth to say something to Loki but Hermione had painfully pulled his arm and pulled him with her and disappeared back into the ballroom and into the crowd.

It was half past three in the morning when Loki had reached back into his penthouse with his date still around his arms.

The elevators to the penthouse opened up and Loki turned to her and stopped her from excitedly stepping into the penthouse.

"You did very, very well tonight." Loki said as he opened up the inner jacket pocket of his suit and pulled out a thin folded parchment and handed it over to her.

Elaiza stared smirked and smiled and turned her head closer to him, flinging one arm around his neck and edging her face closer to him as her fingers ran along the side of his face.

"You know that you're paying me for twenty four hours and that hasn't expired yet." she had said in complete English accent and no trace of French in it.

Loki smirked and smiled at her and slowly removed her hand around his neck pushing the paper back at her.

"This is good for three twenty four hours' worth of your service." Loki clearly said in a purely business tone. "An additional is added for the perfection of your French accent. You did very well into faking it."

"It wasn't fake." Elaiza snapped at him as she attempted to put her arm again around his neck but he avoided and placed a space between the two of them. "I spent a year studying in France, Mr. Laufeyson and my great grandma is French."

"I'm sure." Loki said as he shoved the paper over her hand and straightened his suit up. "Go now. I'll call you once more when I need your service."

She stared back at him, mouth half open at his attitude.

"Is that it?" she asked disbelievingly. "You've paid me and now I'm just off to go?"

"Well what were you expecting exactly?" Loki asked her with a mocking smile over his handsome face. "I have paid and overpaid your service tonight and I assure you that you did very well. Client very much satisfied here."

"You've spent a lot of money tonight for a mere few hours of displaying nothing beyond whispering, a dance and several –"

"What do you want exactly?" Loki asked and this time his tone was impatient and sharp.

Elaiza stared back at her, fear slightly consuming her.

"Well, nothing.." she attempted to be sweet again to place her arms around him as she edged her face to his. "How about a goodnight kiss? You've barely.. touched me tonight.." she whispered.

Loki stood there as her face moved closer to his lips, her hand reaching for his to bring about to her body.

Loki smiled at her and then he leaned his lips closer to hers.

She smiled coyly back at him.

"How about a goodnight kiss or a goodnight snog, pretty boy?" she whispered sweetly against his lips. "A little kiss perhaps? A little gain for what you paid for my service tonight?"

"First of all, I've already gained what I wanted." Loki said with a smile over his face as he reached for her wrist. "Secondly, get your filthy hands off me-"

"Oh come on!" the girl wailed at him obviously in the heat to get something from him. "You've paid me tonight and I can't even get as far as seriously and really kissing you-"

"I've paid you and paid you more than enough to be a mere display of a trophy tonight. Nothing more, nothing less. Now if you want to be paid and taken for your services again next time, you might want to leave before I lose my patience with you."

He pushed her from him, a real threat and angered look over his face as she stood breathless away from him.

She gave him one last look before straightening out her dress and pocketing the cheque he had given her.

"I'm keeping this dress." Elaiza lashed at him her eyes wild and angry.

"You can keep it with the rest of your body to yourself." Loki said gesturing for her to leave. "You know the way out, Miss Raines."

Elaiza stood there, shaking in anger with the money she had been paid for the night and swearing that despite of all the glamour, the generous amount of money she was paid for and the people she had met tonight at this service, Loki Laufeyson was one client she was not entirely sure she was willing to service one more time.

And before she could say anything else, Loki turned back to his door and slammed it shut right at her face as the lift opened up for her to take her leave.

And at the other side of the door, Loki stared at the beautiful solace, the privacy and silence of his penthouse with nothing else but a triumphant gleam of a smile in his bright blue eyes as he inhaled and recalled the rose and vanilla scent that had been consumed from the very little time he had been with Hermione Granger tonight.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's Notes:**_ _**I have come to realize that the last time i posted here was over summer which is relevantly 6 months ago.**_  
 _ **I know i have been posting for the other stories and this looked like it has been left behind.**_ _**I have not abandoned it.**_ _**But I truly lacked focus on this one and the writer's block kept coming from the concept i have built around it for the possible loose ends i'd come across.**_ _**I needed so much time to find myself and gather myself back again to write and work on this.**_ _**Until summer work came that i had to focus on the recital of my students, i had to rearrange my home as the last time i updated this one i have just moved out across town and i had to tend to a lot of things.**_ _**Life basically got in the way and just when i was starting to work on things again, my father had just passed away. well, technically, my godfather. but he raised me as his own and he had just passed away and it drove me to the edge.**_ _**i am reposting my author's note on that one here and i do hope that you still keep coming back to check on this story.**_ _**i'm trying to get back on track on work and everything else since i'm settled at this part of town and work is more regular than it has been for the past weeks.**_ ___**Lots of love everyone**_ _**xx**_ ___**I have so many excuses for missing out on all my stories for the past weeks, and months or so.**_ ___**I have been flooded with work and with a lot of other 'does not make sense' kind of thing in my life right now.**_  
 _ **But most importantly and very recently, my father (godfather actually) passed away last October 5, 2018.**_ ___**He was supposed to turn 59 this November 1. He passed away due to some liver problem that was diagnosed of him two years ago. He was lucky to last for two more years after that diagnosis.**_ _**He is my godfather but he literally raised me up as the family lived under the same house. His wife is my aunt (mom's sister) and other than my grandma, i was closest to him.**_ _**He was an Impressionist Painter and he had a great impact and influence in my life. I always looked up to him and loved him dearly.**_ _**I was the last to see him in the hospital and after my visit ,he passed away the following morning.**_  
 _ **They say he might have been waiting for my visit.**_ _**I couldn't visit him on the first days he was taken into the hospital because of my own health risk at the moment; but i fought my way into seeing him late Friday night.**_ _**It saddens me gravely and the past two weeks is a struggle that I thought i would never endure again from the passing of my grandma last 2012.**_  
 _ **The pain of loss after death is the most inevitable and horrifying experience one will ever have.**_ _**His things are still all over our house, his studio still remained intact, untouched as he left everything.**_  
 _ **And it makes me cry every now and then to realize that he wasn't coming home anymore from a late night with his friends, dinner and sketching with other artists and all that.**_ _**That he wasn't coming back home for me to find him in his studio painting at the ungodly hours because that's the way he is.**_  
 _ **It makes me cry at the thought that i wasn't going to receive a morning message from him at my coffee mornings at my favourite cafes. That there will be no weekend visits at home from me where i'll spend it with him and mom and aunt for a brunch or so.**_ _**I will always miss him.**_ _**I'm sorry i had to burst that all our here cause it makes me feel extremely depress lately.**_ _**I had to miss so much into my writing and right now, my writing comforts me better than anything else in this world.**_ ___**Lots of love.**_  
 _ **let me know how all of you are ding**_ ___**sending love and light**_

 ** _Chapter XVI_**

 ** _The Secret Room_**

The first day back at work after the gala had been challenging for Hermione in ways more than one.

First of all was the fact that at eight in the morning, she had to be at the meeting for which most Ministry and head departments were present and for which Loki attended himself.

As the foreign guest investing in their government post-war and all the damages he had offered to help rebuild, he was all present at these gatherings.

Hermione entered the room with Harry still hyped up from a recent letter from Ron sending them both tickets to an international game for which he managed to get tickets being the honored guest for an event as being part of the Golden Trio who saved the world.

He had been too excited to notice that Hermione was still feeling uneasy three days right after they've both seen Loki Laufeyson at the gala event.

The moment they had entered, he was already there and was animatedly talking to Kingsley about a map of London and an underground construction he had been asking questions about.

Hermione was still too pissed at the man and too confused with her feelings towards the same man that she's barely listening to what was being talked about around her.

She took her usual seat next to Harry at the long meeting table and glanced only once at Loki as she settled herself in her seat and had needed to make a gesture to Kingsley as a morning greeting.

He had not looked back at her but Hermione was sure that he was well aware who had arrived

Today, he was wearing another pair of his elegant suits but one thing she's noticed was that his hair had seemingly been slightly shorter and was fixed in an airy or rather wavy kind of style that admittedly, made him look younger in a way.

How love changes people.

Pathetic, Hermione quietly thought to herself.

Hermione rolled her eyes, pushing the thought off her head and made a sound with her tongue as she settled herself next to Harry.

A witch quickly walked to their side of the table carrying a breakfast tray for the both of them.

"Oh, not mine." Hermione muttered as Harry was quickly delighted by the servings as he had missed breakfast that morning for oversleeping. "I'm not included at the people who ordered breakfast this morning."

"Oh, but this is for you Miss Granger-" the old witch had said smiling at her and settling a cup of coffee next to her tray. "Mr. Potter, here is yours-"

"I'm not hungry." Hermione said. "I'm sorry, I didn't order any-"

"Breakfast complimentary from Mr. Laufeyson, Miss Granger." Kingsley cordially said across the room gesturing to the man next to him. "The meeting will be quite long, a bun and coffee or two won't hurt. Please."

Hermione stared at the Minister and knew that he was giving her the 'please just accept and behave yourself' kind of look from the Minister.

Hermione looked back at Harry who was already halfway into finishing a large cinnamon bun and as she stared back at Loki across the room, he was reading a parchment in his hand.

Hermione knew that he wasn't reading at all but was obviously listening to what she had to say.

Arsehole, Hermione bitterly thought to herself this time.

"I'm sure it won't." Hermione said through gritted teeth lashing out a fake smile. "Thanks then."

She kept her eyes hard on Loki as she grabbed a bun from the tray and then moved the coffee cup nearer her and before she could even settle back on her chair, she could swear that he had smirked over the paper he had previously been 'seriously reading' a few nano-seconds ago.

"I'm going to hex him." Hermione muttered under her breath as she scooted her chair closer to Harry. "I'm asking him to give me one - just one legit reason – and I'm going to hex his balls off and send him back from wherever the fuck he had come from."

Harry had been barley listening to her as he reached over for another cinnamon bun and toasted her to the cup of coffee in his hand.

"Oh this is just great. Would you like me to butter one more bun for you?" Hermione angrily whispered back at him as she tossed the bun she took over her platter and didn't even touch it.

"Just calm down." Harry whispered back at her as Kingsley began the meeting. "We'll talk later. Just calm down or Kingsley will-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Hermione muttered back rolling her eyes and inching away from Harry and pretending to get something in her small bag to start taking notes. "This is going to be a very, very long day."

And it has been more than a long day.

The time of the meeting had taken most of the morning and by lunch time, they were barely even done so lunch had also been served which had been sponsored yet again, by Loki Laufeyson.

Hermione was barely even listening the whole time whenever it was Loki's turn to speak before the meeting room.

Her attention span was getting shorter by the hours as she grew hungry in her refusal to eat anything the man had sponsored in the room.

He had showed his plans and had suggested couple of things and had claimed that he was willing to listen to suggestions by the people around him and based on Hermione's opinion, nobody wanted to have a say against whatever he had laid out onto the room.

His skills and intellect on the given topics had been quite advance in Hermione's opinion that the people around the room agreed to all of it only because they weren't that familiar with whatever infrastructure or strategies he had been giving for the others to have a say against any of it.

She had tried her best to hold her tongue and question what he had to say at the meeting and he had been very, very good in ignoring or rather finding a way for someone else in the room to answer her in his obvious attempt to avoid talking directly at her.

Hermione's impatience grew by the moment and by the fourth time that she had laid out a question and Loki had adamantly threw it around the room for someone else to answer, she had to excuse herself to go to the restroom to avoid hexing anyone in the room.

She had heavily marched out of the meeting hearing a "Stressed out?" low yet mocking tone from the man himself as there were jeers around the room before he continued upon a layout of the underground infrastructure he had been suggesting to be built.

"Who the mother of fucker does he think he is?!" Hermione angrily spat as she walked out of the hallway with Harry that afternoon after hours and hours in the meeting.

"Hermione, calm down." Harry whispered as he rushed to keep up with her fast pace. "We've barely left the room, he might hear you-"

"Oh, I hope he hears me!" Hermione spat at him.

"Hermione, please-"

"I don't care!" Hermione snapped back at him as they stalked down the corridor that will lead them to the lifts. "I don't give a fuck – who the hell – he'll come down here from out of wherever that is and tell us – our government what to-"

"'Mione, seriously, we can do this later-"

"No, Harry." Hermione argued back. "We can do this now. I've been sitting like an idiot there for hours with my brain being fried by nonsense – he doesn't even really care about queries and suggestions- Can't you see? He's not even answering my questions or talking about my suggestions – clearly he's being an arse-"

"'Mione-"

"No, you let me finish." Hermione argued as they walked down to another corridor. "He's just – you know ego? I think he might have accumulated all of them from staring back up at the stars –"

"Hermione!"

"No! Let me finish." Hermione yelled back at him.

Harry halted and stared back at her in shock at her growing anger to the man.

"'Mione, be reasonable." Harry gently argued with her. "He's just.. he has things to contribute and I personally think that Kingsley would have a say if he thinks or see anything funny that should not-"

"Oh my god, Harry!" Hermione heavily sighed in a frustrated manner. "Seriously?! Who the mother of fuck does he think he is-"

"Laufeyson." drawled a deep voice behind them halting them both and making them turn. "I have also been called Odinson. But being out here into the real world, I'd prefer my real name."

The both of them fully turned and saw Loki standing behind them with his assistant and was staring at the two of them with a bemused smile over his face.

"We weren't talking about you." Harry quickly said not wanting to make the issue bigger despite know that the man had obviously heard them already. "We've just been-"

"No, Harry." Hermione said stepping forward and crossing her arms in front of Loki. "Let him know that we're talking about him."

"I'm honored, Miss Granger." Loki said with a gentle bow from his head. "Should there be anything I can be of service of, kindly let me know."

"Why don't you just go back where you came from?" Hermione interrupted him knowing she was crossing the line.

"I beg your pardon?" Loki asked as his assistant made a step forward but he quickly held up a hand to stop him.

There was an intense silence between them and Harry moved forward to grab Hermione's wrist to pull her back from her stance and Hermione quickly shoved his hand off her.

Loki's eyes flickered at Harry's gesture and at the way Hermione had reacted upon it.

He smiled, a smirk that only insulted Hermione further.

"You really are very feisty Miss Granger, aren't you?" he whispered with a touch of smile at the corners of his lips as he took one step forward as if to intimidate Hermione.

His eyes moved from Hermione then back at Harry who was looking as apologetic as ever.

He was obviously trying to avoid any fights and any issue between this man who had promising plans for their world especially in rebuilding one too many of the things that had been damaged by the war.

"Mr. Laufeyson." Harry began stepping before Hermione and gently taking her hand. "Hermione is just a little-"

"No, I'm not a little of anything." Hermione said as Harry moved closer her to take her wrist as gentle yet as urgent as he could possibly do so.

Harry bit his lip and closed his eyes, trying to take her attention, desperately trying to shut her up.

Loki's eyes moved and passed towards Harry's hand around Hermione's hand, equivalently holding it with a gentle touch to it.

His eyes moved again, this time with a sharp glance at Harry.

"You know Mr. Potter, I'd be very honest with you." Loki said as he stepped forward, placing himself closer Harry and standing tall before him as if he was trying to intimidate him. "I haven't really got any problem with your dear friend, Miss Granger. However she seems to be harboring some sort of-"

"I'm not harboring anything." Hermione spat moving forward and closer to the man. "You come down here to our government, parading your money like a Malfoy-"

"Hermione-" Harry muttered grabbing her hand again.

Loki stared, his head askew in question of the term.

"What's a Malfoy?" he asked with a look over his face.

"Mr. Laufeyson." Harry tried to begin again as this time, he forcibly pulled Hermione back and right behind him. "Miss Granger is just tired. Please let this pass. Please pay no attention to all these – she will be better and I assure you that-"

"No, no, she has something to say." Loki said with a benign smile at them both. "Let Hermione Granger speak her mind, yes?"

Hermione's eyes burned him and she was sure that he was mocking her once more for something.

She made a move again and step forward Harry and Loki and opened her mouth ready to debate her argument when the elevator made a sound and opened up.

They looked up at the direction of the elevator and the same woman, Elaiza Raines stepped out of the elevator.

Hermione's eyes quickly flared at the sight of her and Harry could sense the burning desire for her to do something drastic.

Elaiza stepped out of the lift with an airy look about her as if she had entered a shop and not a government facility.

There at the Ministry of Magic, in the middle of the day, she had arrived wearing what looked like a night dress.

Hermione stared sideways at Loki and all anger had vanished from his face and even Harry was ogling at the tall woman.

She had her hair down in nice wavy ends, full make up and a nice see-through clothes as if she had worn it over undergarments like one who is walking through under the heat of the beach.

Her eyes quickly lit up upon seeing Loki there at the corridor.

"Daaaaah-rrrrrliiiing.." she coyly said in her French accent as she moved forward to Loki ignoring the rest of the people around them.

"My darling." Loki whispered back as he received her in his arm.

And then right then and there for the world to see, Elaiza moved her face to him and Loki accepted her lips into a warm and deep kiss that had lasted more than necessary in a public place.

Harry coughed, red in the face as he looked away while Hermione's eyes turned to slits as she stared at the woman before her – looking sexy and classy and very expensive all at the same time.

"You remember my sweet Elaiza?" Loki said gesturing to Harry and Hermione. "She came with me at the-"

"We know who she is." Hermione snapped crossing her arms and staring at the woman as if she was some sort of walking virus. "I think we're unlikely to forget her."

"That is sweet of you, little girl." the woman had noted in her accent and stared back down at Hermione as if she was a child.

Hermione had felt like she was being grilled right then and there and she could almost see Loki's amused face out of the corner of her eyes.

"I'm not a little girl." Hermione sharply muttered at the woman trying to stand straight and tall but she was barely her height. "If you must know, I'm already of age."

Elaiza made a high-pitch laugh that was seemingly asking for Hermione's vindictive side.

"Now, now, sweetheart." Loki drawled at her moving his hand around her waist and whispering right at the part of her neck where the collarbone and the jawline met. "Be nice to them. They're my colleagues now."

"I'm very, very nice." Elaiza chuckled. "Did you not just.. tell me ze that lastnight when we were-?"

"Shush, yes, I do remember." Loki whispered back at her and then slowly looked up at the other two he gave them a short nod. "I apologize. She can be quite.. challenging."

"I'm sure." Hermione spat at him unable to stop herself. "Every woman for you is quite challenging, isn't it?"

Loki's eyes sharply turned to her and his attention for that split moment, was completely undivided from her.

"Alright, that's it, we need to go." Harry quickly interrupted giving Loki and Elaiza a smile.

Loki smiled cunningly back at them and his eyes moved away slowly from Hermione.

"I think we need to go." Harry suddenly said feeling that Hermione's blood was already boiling up to the core. "We do have some things to finish-"

"Oh, Mr. Potter." Elaiza smoothly muttered moving forward and offering her hand to him. "It's….the ze boy.. who lived…"

Harry stared at her hand and though she offered it to him for a short kiss, Harry very briefly touched it and shook it.

He quickly let it go and Hermione didn't miss the gesture.

"But daaaah-hhhrling have you told them?" Elaiza asked Loki as she turned back at him after giving Harry a very embarrassed look. "The party?"

A bright look passed Loki's eyes as he nodded at her and then kissed her over the cheek.

"Oh, right, I haven't." Loki said with a proud smile over his face as he turned back at the two. "Elaiza here is hosting the next charity event at her villa. We would be delighted to see the both of you there."

"That would be nice." Harry simply said really wanting to leave already. "But I'm not-"

"I've forgotten to announce it earlier at the meeting but nevertheless, invitation would be sent out. That is three days from today-"

"We can't go." Hermione simply said. "Harry and I are too busy to make time for social gatherings. Unlike yourselves, we don't have unlimited leisure time."

Elaiza gave a loud and hearty laugh that only irritated Hermione further.

"What's so funny?" she strike at her.

Harry looked completely alarmed by now but Loki looked anything else but amused.

She shook her head, moving closer to Loki and playing with the ends of his black hair.

"You're really this.. girl I keep on hearing Miss Greeey-ger." Elaiza muttered her tone lacy at her direction. "Can't you rest? Besides, this project would host the investor that would ze giving budget for the eeeel-ves that you protest'er before?"

"What?" Hermione spat at her finding herself hating the French language for the first time in her life. "What did you say?"

She turned from her to Loki with an utmost look over her face.

"What did she say?" she demanded of him, eyes glinting.

"The investors for the benefit and welfare of house-elves would be there at the occasion." Loki gradually explained to her. "One of the main charities the event would be donating to is the department that holds the budget for the upcoming programme of retired hour-elves-"

"SPAAAW? I think?" Elaiza butted in. "I heard it's sp-spawt-spe-"

"It's S.P.E.W." Hermione spat at her through gritted teeth without taking her eyes off Loki. "That's the name of the programme I've come up with ages ago."

"Then the more than you are expected to be there." Loki simply said staring at Hermione then at Harry as if trying to convince Harry and knowing that if he does convince Harry, he could convince Hermione.

"That's impossible." Harry said almost laughing. "They've never accepted the programme as a legit-"

"They have." Loki said. "That's one of the funding contracts we've reviewed and donated to in the past-"

"But it won't just pass-"

"Mr. Potter." Elaiza said silkily as her eyes moved from Loki then to Hermione and then at Harry. "I think if they've been donated ze say, fifty thousand – galleons? Isn't that so my loooove –" she gestured lovingly at Loki, " – it will be assured and secured that ze department will be-"

"Who would donate that big of a money?" Hermione said eyes wide and now very interested in the topic. "Nobody in the many years has ever even looked at the files proposed for their welfare and – it's just impossible. I refuse… who would donate such big amount of money?"

"I would." Loki simply said with a bracing smile over his face. "And I've just done."

"YOU WHAT?!" the other two yelped together.

Harry and Hermione's eyes turned up at him and Harry felt that Hermione was suddenly burning with questions and many other things in between.

"But you can't-" Hermione protested at the verge of stepping forward again if not for Harry's hold around her arm. "You can't just – I refused- this is stupid – you're parading your money around like some –"

"Like some kind of what, Miss Granger?" Loki said with a look over his face as he turned to her. "I'm having a feeling you have some personal vendetta about how I give away my money, Miss Granger."

But before either of them could say anything else, Elaiza had taken Loki's arm.

"I'm getting bored." she simply said. "Let's go daaaaah-rrrrling.. you promised to take me somewhere.. private today."

Loki's eyes moved from Hermione then back at Elaiza as if taunting her right then and there.

He kissed her hand whilst his eyes were on Hermione.

"We do have to go." Loki whispered. "It is such a pleasure seeing both of you. Mr. Potter, it was nice to see you again and I do hope your friend Miss Granger feels better the next time I see her around. Good day to you both."

"Mr. Laufeyson-" Harry began but he looked like he was barely listening. "Hermione is just quite tired tonight to really-"

"Understandable, Mr. Potter." Loki had interrupted him with a small smile across his thin lips. "But you would have to excuse us."

And before Harry nor Hermione could do anything, Loki gave them a nod and placed his hands around Elaiza's way and swayed her with him away from the other two.

"Who the mother of fucker does he think he is?" Hermione angrily said as she closed her apartment's door after signing a receiving delivery card.

Loki Laufeyson had sent her blue roses and an invitation to the party two days away from it.

"Who the mother of fucker does he really, really think he is?!" Hermione spat as she entered the other room.

Harry was sitting over the couch and holding an expensive bottle of wine in his hands.

Before they've been interrupted by the delivery of roses in her apartment, Harry had come over to show her an expensive bottle of wine sent to him that morning with an invitation to the party of Mr. Laufeyson.

Hermione had then received her flowers and invitation fifteen minutes later.

"Don't think too much." Harry had said. "He is obviously sending everyone something."

"Roses?" Hermione said with a flicker of spite in her tone. "Really?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Harry said in a mocking voice and disbelief over his face. "Did you want me to receive roses too?"

There was a sly smile over his face as he tried to calm her down.

"Not funny." Hermione said as she tried to move away from Harry's grasp. "Move over."

She pushed him from her favourite spot over her own couch and stared back at her bestfriend.

He was staring back at her with a hard grip over the bottle of wine.

"You're enjoying all these freebie." Hermione said with a dark look over her eyes. "You're enjoying all these Laufeyson giveaways."

Harry had been constraining his laughter but upon hearing it, he suddenly burst into one.

Hermione's eyes turned to slit and she grabbed the pillow from the couch and hit him several times with it.

"I knew it." Hermione said. "It's wine. It's freaking just wine Harry- I can bloody buy you-"

"No, you won't." Harry told her as he tried to defend himself with his arms. "You won't buy me. Besides, it's free. Who doesn't want free-"

"You bloody-aaargh!" Hermione screamed as Harry lowered all the other items around them and grabbed her around the waist and started tickling her nontstop. "Stop!"

"You've bloody got to calm yourself down, Hermione. The man is doing his best to be nice. He is helping rebuild our world."

Harry had been smiling, laughing even.

He always was the one who calmed her down and for some reason, he felt that he needed to do this to help her avoid trouble that she was surely calling out to because of the way she was treating Laufeyson.

"I don't like him." Hermione told him as he let her go and they both settled back down the couch. "I just don't like him."

"You don't like him or you don't like that woman having all her tentacles all over Laufeyson?" Harry asked her staring deep into her eyes.

She blushed and she looked away from him.

She attempted to say something but Harry silenced her with a nod as he held her hand.

"I'm your bestfriend. I always know. You don't need to be ashamed of anything." Harry told her trying to make her smile with his own. "I don't know him either but he seems like a lad who can actually take care of you or protect you or something-"

"We don't know that."

"No, we don't." Harry said. "But he looked like he was all the way sincere and he really liked you. And then you rejected him so what was he supposed to do or feel? That's the way he is because he's a man. That's the way we are. Jerks."

Hermione almost smiled at him at Harry's testimony on Loki's obvious indifference right after she had flat our rejected him.

But she had said too much damage already and she was sure that the snake-like woman won't just remove her tentacles all over Laufeyson especially the way that it looked – they were both enjoying one another's company.

As Harry said, Loki is a jerk and one that has needs and that woman obviously provided him everything that he needed and wanted from a woman.

She just wasn't that kind of individual.

And that was exactly why Loki Laufeyson wouldn't want her any longer.

"I'm not easy." Hermione told Harry sinking back down the soft couch and frowning at her bestfriend. "And that's what makes this all difficult."

"No." Harry said giving her an embrace and a kiss over the forehead. "That what makes you worth it."

There was a sound of something akin to a long and echoing scream and then a loud thud, the sound of someone who had fallen back down painfully over the carpeted floor.

There was a grown of something like a mixture of anger and pain.

And then the sound of an unlocking of the chained door.

The double doors opened and for the first time in what felt like weeks or months, ray of light entered the dark room.

There was a bright light as if someone had casted out 'Lumos' but it wasn't that spell.

It was a different light, casted by a different kind of magic.

He groaned over the floor as he heard the heavy boots taking the steps into the dimly lit room.

"I have an impression that you keep lying to me." his voice was deep and half amused but the stark aura of spite and controlled anger was also evident in the tone. "Which gives me the same impression that you want to die very soon."

"Tell me, did she turn you into a ferret?" answered a drawling voice in utter pain out of difficulty to move or speak.

His eyes moved to the blonde boy lying in pain, helpless over the carpeted floor.

His bluish green eyes moved over his thinning body, tortured out of the days from a magic he had now known nor was able to protect himself from.

"Your abode is serving me very well but the information you provide does not." Loki's spiteful voice turned as he halted from walking around the body like a snake watching over its prey. "Is this an indication that you really want to die?"

"I told you already." the voice answered back in a heavy and cold drawl. "That girl isn't someone you can just take and use for your desires. If any, she will be the most difficult witch you'll ever find. I don't understand why you're wasting time with that Mudblood."

He pursed his lips at the term.

He didn't really understand it but there was something indecent about the term this boy had been using on her.

And for some reason, he does hate it when this boy called her that.

"Then don't be an imbecile and tell me how I can woe her into granting me what I need!" Loki suddenly yelled at him and then he held his hand up and without touching the young wizard on the ground he electrocuted him with an ancient kind of magic that he was completely unprepared for.

He screamed on the floor as the pain that had momentarily hit him was something far from what he knew but not any different from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse that he knew of.

He stopped using the spell on him and he coughed on the ground as he attempted to move, to slightly crawl away from the man before him.

He spit out blood from his mouth and he slowly and painfully moved his neck up to look at the man before him.

A rightful king stared down at the once powerful young heir of one of the most powerful Pureblood families in the Wizarding World – well, that was once upon a time.

But it was no longer.

"I have not kept you to remain alive for nothing. If I have no use of you, then you must know that sooner, I shall be egged to dispose of you." Loki said through gritted teeth as he stared down at the pointed face of the young blonde who looked up at him with a mocking distaste from his face.

He lay over in his torn clothes and slightly bloody physique.

How horrible it was of an idea for him to be lured into that trap.

Out of his grudges and his greed, he had pushed himself into a trap that had landed him into this kind of tortured life.

Imprisoned in his own house, without means to reach his own magic to protect his lair or himself and without any hope or rescue from the Wizarding World whom he was sure of that if he dies, wouldn't even feel the slightest tinge of loss.

He was irrelevant in the Wizarding World – all the Pureblood ones – and everyone else who had supported the Dark Lord Voldemort was.

Once a powerful family they had been but it was no longer.

He was going to die a painful death at the hands of this mysterious man of ancient times and of the land of the gods and nobody would ever mourn or know of it.

He had become irrelevant to this world – all Malfoys had been.

And he knew that he, Draco Lucius Malfoy, was going to die alone and powerless in the hands of the god who called himself, Loki Laufeyson.


End file.
